England struggle against Denmark in Euro 2024 1-1 draw.

 England struggle against Denmark in Euro 2024 1-1 draw

It always seemed to turn out this way. You knew it would be a painful, painstaking struggle because England never seem to do things in the way most of us would expect them to do so. Gareth Southgate's England men just appear clueless when important tournaments come along. In their opening group match in Euro 2024, England simply made heavy weather of a Serbia side who were just content to absorb everything England were prepared to throw at them before disappearing down a rabbit hole.

It was never going to be that easy, always hard going, much more complicated than it should have been and, when the referee blew the final whistle, England just slumped despondently onto a cabbage patch of a pitch before finally realising how lucky they had been. Denmark, their stubborn, well disciplined and much classier opposition, had crowded England out of the game and then decided that, short of winning this Euro 2024 group match, a draw had to be the next best thing. For England, this was just Chinese water torture, a plodding, pedestrian, error ridden mess of a football match that simply ran its course.

But we have become almost conditioned to these agonising moments, these awful and dreadful displays that have become almost commonplace. England's 1-1 draw against Denmark was sloppy, slovenly, cumbersome, awkward and disjointed, with nothing in the way of any kind of finesse at any point during the game. This was an England side that was clumsy, careless, reckless and simply lacking in any kind of focus or intensity, way off the pace and in serious danger of a humiliating defeat.

We have, of course, history with Denmark. Sir Bobby Robson, in his first game for England over 40 years ago, faced Denmark and, although narrowly beaten on the night at the old Wembley, most of us simply accepted the status quo, hoping perhaps the World Cup of Mexico in 1986 would provide them with the necessary breathing space to express themselves in the years leading up to that World Cup. But then a genius by the name of Diego Maradona broke all the rules with a moment of sheer, unforgivable skulduggery. The Hand that punched in Argentina's decisive second and winning goal against England is now no more than some grievous injustice that bordered on the criminal.

And yet against Denmark in the present day, England looked like a porcelain vase that had been both chipped, and in some places, completely broken. It was like watching some derelict, weather beaten building whose windows had been deliberately smashed to smithereens and left to decay. When Gareth Southgate gathers together his besieged and beleaguered team for yet another pep talk, he will state the obvious and probably give them the most frightening lecture they have ever witnessed. This was never good enough and Southgate must know that, if things don't improve dramatically, then England could be home in time for Glastonbury next week.

You'd have thought by now that the metaphorical penny had dropped for the England football team. It is all well qualifying for World Cups or European Championships but you have to be ready and prepared for this searching examination of your character. England, you suspected, were probably thinking of sun kissed beaches, cocktail bars, luxurious hotels and endless supplies of pina colada.

Under Don Revie's shameful tenure with England, Revie would insist on leisurely games of dominoes and carpet bowls as a way of releasing his players from the stresses and strains of international competition. Gareth Southgate is an altogether different kind of manager and this last week, England were seen cycling around the country lanes of Germany. It didn't really work.

Ever since the painfully excruciating 1-0 win over Serbia, England were looking for a treasure chest with sparkling rubies, diamonds and pearls. A win, of course, is a win and should be celebrated as such, but after Harry Kane had steered home England's winner, it just seemed as though their game became a trapped in a claustrophobic box. There was much laborious huffing and puffing, plenty of honest endeavour but then the passes just dried up and the England machine started creaking and groaning.

Passing judgment on the national side has always been fraught with difficulties. When England play well and the goals are flowing, then naturally the country gets all patriotic and pleased as Punch. The flags and banners are hung from every pub window and the country feels as though somebody is supporting it. But there is a flawed and vulnerable underbelly that always leads to a harrowing downfall. This is not to say that England are just out of Euro 2024, nor are they delusional and starry eyed. However, England are being very England and this result may have been entirely predictable.

Next Tuesday, England will face their final group match against Serbia buoyed by the knowledge that things can hardly get any worse than they already are. At the moment it all feels both flat and demoralising as if all our expectations had been left in the Lost Property department. Of course England had been totally engaged with the task in hand and there were times when Denmark would be taken to the cleaners, impressively beaten and everything lwas hunky dory. But then somebody switched out the light and plunged us into Stygian darkness. England were clod hopping through the thick grass and everything looked very accidental and haphazard.

There was a point when both Declan Rice and Phil Foden found themselves hovering around the middle of the pitch like catamarans far out at sea, floating aimlessly towards the wrong harbour. Rice is still a technically composed and adroit defender, shielding the back four with a truly uplifting assurance and nonchalance. But when Rice began to move forward to join in with Trent Alexander Arnold, there was a stiffness and leaden footedness about all three players that was quite disturbing.

At the back, Marc Guehi was still as sharp and responsive as ever, redeemed himself promptly when losing possession in a dangerous area. Guehi lunged back at the red Denmark shirt to prod the ball over the by line for a Denmark corner. Kyle Walker whose spectacular turn of pace at 30 something, was responsible for that marauding overlap that led to Harry Kane's winning goal against Serbia, covered intelligently but even one of the fastest athletes in the England squad may be feeling as though his younger colleagues  are just as lithe and sprightly and there's little petrol left in the tank.

Kieran Trippier and John Stones are also of advanced years and although just as alert and experienced, there is a feeling that the English defence is in dire need of rejuvenation.Stones, indeed, is leggy but still secure at the back while Trippier is still capable of clocking up the mileage. But then you looked to Phil Foden, who may have won his fourth successive Premier League medal with Manchester City. There is still a boyish charm and infectious enthusiasm about Foden that reminds you of the kid who refuses to come into tea when mum orders him back at once before it goes all cold. Foden roamed and roved all over the pitch, here, there and everywhere, demanding the ball and then darting in and out of back tracking and terrified defenders.

And then there is Jude Bellingham. Bellingham's now still young career, has been so well documented that most of us feel as though we know him like a brother. Bellingham, is by a country mile, England's front seat driver, the landscape painter, the electrical sparking plug for England, a playmaker par excellence; gifted beyond belief, modest in the extreme, remarkably grounded, a model of creativity, impulsive and just the most outstanding talent for this generation.

Now of course there are some of us who recall Paul Gascoigne because we all knew Gazza, his extraordinary eccentricities, that individual brilliance, the cheeky impudence, the boy next door and then the man who had to grow up very quickly when teetering on the precipice. Of course, Gascoigne was infuriating, impossible, almost insufferable when those wild, outlandish antics threatened to send him over the top.

But Bellingham, to all intents and purposes, does not do dentist chairs while his England team mates pour gallons of water down his throat or, as seems more likely, alcohol. Euro 96 now seems captured in a classical time frame for the England team since England were almost a lunging Gazza leg away from reaching the Final in 1996 against the Czech Republic. Germany may have gone onto win that tournament but that's all very hypothetical and besides this is the golden age for Jude Bellingham.

As a recent recipient of a Champions League winners medal with the mighty Real Madrid, Bellingham still looks like an academic university student who swots away at chemistry and physics with a heartening diligence. Bellingham is the real deal, a tricky, body swerving, hip swaying, jinking and shimmying midfield magician. His dribbling skills at close quarters do bear a resemblance to Gascoigne but there the similarity must end since Bellingham does not tackle wildly and uncontrollably. The reckless and career threatening tackle on Nottingham Forest's Gary Charles in Spurs victory over Brian Clough's Forest in the 1991 FA Cup Final made some of us wince with horror. But Bellingham is different.

He has yet to be seen staggering out of nightclubs with a drink and a kebab in his hands. But then we loved Gazza just because he was just one of the lads, burning the midnight oil and just being the lovable court jester. He would never have admitted to being a role model for future generations but he did play the game as it was meant to be played. He was naturally creative and progressive, never thinking of what might have been and concentrating on the here and now and the future.

And so back to England's limp and stodgy performance against Denmark. After Harry Kane's opening goal for England, there was by now the familiar defensive retreat back into their shell. England were now dropping so far back into their own half that you had to wonder why they were being so protective and over cautious. Their passes had lost all of the appropriate points of the compass  and the geography was distinctly dodgy. 

After yet more swift and perceptive, quick fire passes into England's own half, Denmark inevitably drew level with England. Red shirts poured forward towards England's penalty areas. A neat shuffle of the ball across the edge of the England penalty area following a corner shortly before, found Morten Hjulman who let go from some distance with his most dangerous foot and slammed a low, skimming drive that flew past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford who couldn't quite reach the shot.

Now, the likes of Joachim Anderson, Jannik Vestergard, Joakim Maehle, Andres Christensen, Victor Kristiansen and the evergreen Christian Eriksen and Manchester United's Rasmus Hojland were all ganging up on England with the kind of expansive attacking football which, famously, contributed to Denmark's now unforgettable European Championship victory against Germany. Arsenal's John Jensen struck a magnificent shot that will live in Danish minds forever, a goal to savour.

Still, here we are with both Denmark and England still in pole position for qualification into the next round of Euro 2024. As has now become the custom, England will have to take the short cuts and back roads towards the knockout stages of this competition. Of course it isn't straightforward and we'd be surprised if this was anything but the case. England and Gareth Southgate are in this one together but if England don't win this edition of the European Championship then the only alternative would seem a quick flight back to Heathrow airport and a front row seat at Glastonbury next weekend. Come on England we know you can do it. We have implicit faith and trust in Gareth Southgate.