Gareth Southgate has said the external noise was “louder than it has ever been” earlier in Euro 2024 but believes England are now ready to seize their chance to make history by reaching a first major final on foreign soil.
“One of our strengths over the years has been having less fear, showing less inhibition but at the beginning of the tournament the expectation weighed heavily and the noise from outside had never been louder. We couldn’t quite get ourselves in the right place,” Southgate told a news conference on Tuesday.
“What was impressive in the end was that we ground it out and found ways to win. I thought that shifted against the Swiss, you saw a freer version of us on the ball. The group changed, if not the messaging.
“Now it’s about what is possible and not what might go wrong. This is now the chance to make history. We are trying to break new ground and that is not easy but the players have been resilient.”