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Serbia manager Dragan Stojkovic delivered a brutal assessment of England's displays (Image: GETTY)
Serbia manager Dragan Stojkovic aimed a brutal dig at England after his side were knocked out of Euro 2024 in the group stages. They finished bottom of Group C after playing out a goalless draw with Denmark as England were held to the same result by Slovenia.
England's only win of the group stage came against Serbia, with Jude Bellingham's early goal securing all three points for the Three Lions. Their other two games against Denmark and Slovenia ended in draws, leading to widespread criticism from fans and pundits alike.
After the final whistle in Serbia's draw with Denmark, Stojkovic did not hold back as he highlighted just how poor England have been. He said: "Everyone thought England might be some miracle from another planet but they were nothing like that. The expectations were just different."
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Much of the criticism of England has been aimed at Gareth Southgate, who has been accused of employing an overly negative approach. He was blasted in the media after England adopted a defensive strategy following their goals against Serbia and Denmark, rather than looking to kill those games off.
Southgate has also been questioned for putting square pegs in round holes, with a number of England stars playing out of position. Phil Foden has failed to impress after being shifted over to the left wing, while Kieran Trippier has been deployed at left-back due to Southgate not calling up a replacement for the injured Luke Shaw.
Others have slammed Southgate for overlooking the likes of Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Adam Wharton, who have played just a handful of minutes between them. Speaking after the final whistle against Slovenia, the England boss suggested the criticism was unwarranted because his team still managed to win their group.
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He said: "I understand the reactions but it is a tough environment. We tried to win the game by the changes we made. We put attacking players on the pitch. I understand the narrative towards me. That's better for the team than it being towards them. But it's creating an unusual environment to operate in. I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar."
England will head into the knockout stages in the kinder half of the bracket after avoiding Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. Their next opponent is yet to be confirmed, but Southgate made it clear that any team will be more than capable of causing problems for his side.
He added: "We have got to play well and whoever we play is going to be a really tough game. We shouldn't be seduced by which half of the draw."
