England football player Raheem Sterling said the team looked into what manager Gareth Southgate had given the team, noting that this was not a “panic time” after relegation to the European Nations League.
Confirmed England’s relegation from the first level of the Nations League after losing 0-1 to their Italian counterpart last Friday, not achieving any victory in five consecutive games, which is the worst record for the English team in official matches since 1992.
With the approach of the 2022 World Cup scheduled in Qatar, expectations seemed to wane about what the English team would present, arriving at the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the Nations Cup final (Euro 2020).
Despite his successes with the national team, the 52-year-old Southgate is facing mounting criticism, but in his statements before Monday’s scheduled game against Germany, Sterling defended the efforts made by the manager, saying he is still the right man.
“We qualified for the semifinals (at the World Cup) and the final (at Euro 2020),” said Sterling. “We have to send positive messages to motivate the players again. Because of the performance, I understand why we don’t think so at the moment.”
“But this is not a moment of panic. Over the past two years we have reviewed what Southgate has brought to the national team. He is someone all players trust and we want to continue on his path.”
“I don’t think these last few games are changing that reality,” Sterling added. “I think we need to focus on how far we can go to build the positive.”
Sterling acknowledged the decline in performance in the last period, as the English side struggle to deal with defensive disintegration, but stressed that the team can correct the course.
“Football has ups and downs,” Sterling said. “I think we have played well in the last two years. The next match (against Germany) is a great opportunity to take a step in the right direction.”
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