Gareth Southgate has expressed concern over the “unusual atmosphere” surrounding the England team after they faced boos despite topping Group C.
He urged supporters to stand behind the team, regardless of their feelings towards him personally.
England managed only four shots on target in a lackluster performance during the latest match, yet they secured top spot in the group as Denmark drew with Serbia.
The team received boos from fans both at half-time and full-time at the RheinEnergieSTADION. After the game, Southgate approached the England supporters to show his appreciation; while some reacted positively, others booed and a few beer cups were thrown towards him.
Southgate’s contract with the Football Association expires in December, with a decision on his future to be made after the tournament concludes.
Some fans have questioned whether he is still the right man to lead England after eight years in charge and Southgate said of the full-time reaction: “I understand it. I’m not going to back away from it. The most important thing here is that the supporters stay with the team.
“I understand the narrative towards me and that’s better for than it being towards them. But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I’ve not seen any team qualify and receive similar.
“I recognise that when you have moments at the end of the game, I’m asking the players to be fearless, I’m not going to back down from going over and thanking the fans who were brilliant during the game.
“They might feel differently towards me. But for me, we only will succeed if we are together. That energy is crucial for the team and it is so important they stay with the team, however they feel towards me.”
Asked what had changed about the environment around the team, Southgate replied: “I think probably expectation. We’ve made England over the last six or seven years fun again. I think it has been enjoyable for the players. We’ve got to be very, very careful that it stays that way.”
Despite the mixed reaction from fans, England captain Harry Kane noted an improvement in the team’s performance compared to their previous outing, a 1-1 draw against Denmark.
“That was the aim before the start of the tournament, come top of the group and control our destiny,” he told ITV. “I thought we played a lot better than the other games. We couldn’t just find that finish but we look forward to the next one.
“We created some half chances and there were some that we could maybe have done better.
“I think the boys who came on did really well and kept the energy high and that’s what we need. We need everyone chipping in and that’s what we are doing so far.
“These games are tough. We have been here before and stepped it up in the past when we have got to the knockouts. All games in this tournament are tough. It is going to be a difficult challenge ahead and we have enough ability to keep pushing.”
England must wait to learn their round-of-16 opponents but will play one of the four best third-placed in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.