Declan Rice denies England are not fit enough

Midfielder Declan Rice (in white) confirmed that the England team has no physical problems - Photo: AFP

England have been criticised by former players and pundits for their lacklustre performances and ambiguous tactics in their opening two matches at Euro 2024. Ahead of the match against Slovenia in the early morning of June 26 (Vietnam time), England's performance is becoming the main topic of discussion.

England go into the game already assured of a place in the last 16 after Albania lost to Spain. However, any mistake against Slovenia could have serious consequences for England. A second-place finish would see them face Germany, while a top-flight finish would see them face a third-placed team.

"We have the best players in the world and we can cope with any situation," Declan Rice told the Guardian . "The expectation of the badge on the shirt, the expectation of the whole country, we have to deal with all that pressure and go out there with composure. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for us to go out there and prove ourselves."

The biggest pressure is on head coach Gareth Southgate, whose concern is whether the 53-year-old will be able to carry out his instructions on the pitch.

Southgate hopes the replacement of Trent Alexander-Arnold with Conor Gallagher in midfield will bring more energy. Earlier, after the match against Denmark, Southgate said England had fitness problems.

"We didn't press well enough, we didn't press with enough intensity," Southgate was quoted by the Guardian as saying. "We had physical limitations. For example, we couldn't press high up the pitch like we did in qualifying, and we didn't keep the ball well enough."

However, Declan Rice doesn't think so. "It's ridiculous!", Rice told ITV.

"Let them continue to doubt. We train to play seasons like this. Because we are struggling, people think we are tired and not fit. If we are not fit enough to play for 90 minutes, we should not be players," Rice declared.

Southgate has been more cautious about the intensity of training over the past three days. "We are definitely improving," he insisted.

The Guardian newspaper commented that the possibility of England changing its squad is quite low. Accordingly, coach Southgate is expected to only make minor changes in personnel.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/declan-rice-phu-nhan-tuyen-anh-khong-du-the-luc-20240625154617735.htm