England defender Marc Guehi says unrest among the fans towards Gareth Southgate will not distract the squad at Euro 2024.
The England manager was heckled and some plastic cups were thrown near his feet as he applauded the travelling fans after the 0-0 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday which sealed England’s place at the top of Group C.
Afterwards Southgate insisted he’d prefer to be a lightning rod for the fans’ frustration and they should keep supporting the players on the field as they were having to operate in ‘an unusual environment’ created by the frustrations of fans and media.
“His record speaks for itself, everyone is behind the manager” ❤️
Marc Guehi praises Gareth Southgate for the role he’s played in his England career 🏴 pic.twitter.com/MqmyFr8GsV
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 27, 2024
Guehi said at a media conference on Thursday afternoon: “I don’t think the team is too focused on that. We are thankful for all of the fan support because they have travelled to see us.
“It is a calm and focused camp. Everyone is just focused on the next task at hand.”
The Crystal Palace defender insisted his manager’s record for England ‘speaks for itself,’ adding: “He has been fantastic for England.
“Everyone is behind him and we have a really close tight knit group., He gave me my debut for England and he’s showed great confidence in me. I am grateful for that.”
Confidence is something England could use more of as they enter the knockout stages but the 23-year-old added: “What builds confidence is togetherness, performances and the fact we haven’t lost a game yet.
“We just have to control what we can control to stay focused.”
England have only conceded one goal in their three games and their xG against is the best of all 24 teams in the tournament, impressive as Guehi has earned praise for his performances filling in for usual defensive lynchpin Harry Maguire at short notice.
Guehi added: “It is nice to hear. There have been some really good performances by people. I am enjoying the experience and the tournament. I’m just really grateful.”
“It’s a collective, being able to defend really well. If we’re going to go far in this tournament our defence needs to be strong.
“I’m not aware of what the critics say. As long as we keep moving forward in the right direction, we’ll be OK.”
Slovakia are next up in the round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (5pm BST) and Guehi revealed: “We haven’t done any team analysis on them yet but we all watch the games and know they are a good side. They have some really good players, [Stanislav] Lobotka being one.
“I think it’s going to be another tough opponent, tough challenge and we need to be ready to match what they bring.”
🔁Most Ball Recoveries in Euro 2024
Only players in R16✅
🏴Guehi 26
🇮🇹Calafiori 24 🚫
🇮🇹Bastoni 23
🇸🇮Karničnik 23
🇨🇭Akanji 23
🇩🇰Vestergaard 21
🇬🇪Kashia 21
🏴Rice 21
🇩🇪Rudiger 21
🇫🇷Upamecano 21
🇹🇷Akaydin 21
🇸🇰Lobotka 20
🇦🇹Seiwald 20
🇸🇰Skrinar 20
🇬🇪Kakabadze 20
🇬🇪Dvali 20 pic.twitter.com/Mp1m8FhR5p— ALLABOUTFPL (@allaboutfpl) June 27, 2024
Topping the group ensured England would avoid the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France until a potential meeting in the final on July 14 in Berlin, but Guehi refuted the talk of one side of the draw being easier than another.
“Everyone has seen from results in the tournament so far that there’s no real favourable side,” he said. “Every opponent is tough to play against.
“We just need to remain calm. We put pressure on ourselves, but it’s a very calm and focused environment.”
