· England slumped to a disappointing 1-1 draw against Denmark in their second Euro 2024 group stage game.
· Manager Gareth Southgate made several decisions that ultimately backfired.
· England remain top of Group C but will need to improve dramatically in order to win the tournament.

England were held to a sluggish 1-1 draw against Denmark on Thursday night. An early goal by Harry Kane brought hope among the Three Lions that they could forget last Sunday's close shave with Serbia, but Gareth Southgate's side lacked energy and ideas to kick on, allowing the Danes to find a way back into the fixture.

After Slovenia and Serbia also drew in the earlier Euro 2024 kickoff, England had the chance to qualify early for the knockout rounds, but changes are needed by Southgate - and fast. A final Group C tie against bottom-placed Slovenia on Tuesday night awaits, but there are three things the manager will want to focus on in his post-match reflection first.

Sitting Back After Scoring

In a tournament where so many early goals have been scored, it was critical for England to kick on after Harry Kane opened his Euro 2024 account in the 18th minute. But in a repeat of last weekend's tale against Serbia, they appeared to drop off and retreat, soaking up pressure and allowing Denmark to find a way back into the game, scoring the equaliser in the 34th minute before looking the likeliest to find a winner.

England's history of sitting back after scoring a goal is a well-noted pattern in football, and it made an unwelcome appearance in Frankfurt. Below shows the average positioning of each England player before the goal compared to afterward, and the results make for worrying reading for those hoping the Three Lions can finally bring football home.

England's average position before and after scoring 😬#DENENG #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/ko29VwnkyE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 20, 2024

Conor Gallagher, Eberechi Eze and Ollie Watkins all came on and helped them re-energise late on, but it was too little too late for England, who ran out of ideas once Denmark had found their feet. Anthony Gordon possesses the necessary pace to ensure heads don't drop and opposition defences always have something to think about, but was an unused player on Thursday evening.

Not Changing The Line-Up After Serbia Game

Although changing a winning team is usually the least effective strategy to undertake, with the famous quote suggesting "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" becoming a stereotypical managerial saying in such circumstances, it would probably have been better for Southgate to have tweaked a few things following a scrappy, close call 1-0 victory over Serbia last week.

From the outside looking in, it appeared obvious that there were cracks to be plastered after the first group fixture. Trent Alexander-Arnold appears less like a midfielder in each competitive fixture he plays for England, while Phil Foden - who was unable to complete any dribbles or create any chances against Serbia - was isolated when shoved out on the left flank.

Conor Gallagher on for Alexander-Arnold after 53 minutes, a substitution that says it all. Think that might be the end of that particular midfield strategy. Alexander-Arnold struggled desperately in that role today - which of course is not his natural position.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) June 20, 2024

Yet, while these two glaring problems were discernible to everyone else, the same starting line-up were handed their shirts back by Southgate in an attempt to help those who underperformed to exorcise their demons and vindicate the faith he had in his players to make a difference.

The result had the opposite effect, however, with both aforementioned players struggling to make an impact in their unchartered positions. Seemingly, Southgate sees the positives of having both Alexander-Arnold and Foden start together, but when put into practice, it just appears as though the manager is shoehorning reputable players into a system not fit for winning the European Championships. This helps construct a perfect segue into the final point.

Lack of Midfield Energy

Ahead of this year's tournament, Southgate was praised for ditching his old-fangled ways of putting dull, defensive strategies ahead of the attacking, experimental outlook of other coaches at his level. He was finally starting Alexander-Arnold, and his loyalty to players such as Kalvin Phillips and Eric Dier had been depleted, availing the England manager of a new, avant-garde approach to the way the Three Lions set up.

But now, he finds himself under criticism for this very reason. With Alexander-Arnold never playing in midfield under Jurgen Klopp, and Foden playing his best football in the number 10 role, fans can now see the reasoning behind Pep Guardiola and Klopp's decision to play these talented stars where they did.

As a result, England looked lethargic, particularly in the midfield areas. With both Rice and Alexander-Arnold being too far away from Jude Bellingham; play was easily broken up by Denmark, and the Three Lions had a tendency to lose the ball through misplaced passes, often playing at a pace that would suit the walking version of the sport.

One such way of combatting this is by Southgate continuing his experimental lineups, but with Foden starting as the 10 and Bellingham slotting into Alexander-Arnold's number 8 role. This would leave the latter out of contention for the side that faces Slovenia next Tuesday, but would offer more energy in the part of the manager's blueprint that should be responsible for creating the best chances throughout the game.