England aim to defy critics and find rhythm in the sun against Slovenia

The sun looks set to shine on England’s footballers on Tuesday night; literally, at least. After 10 days of downpours and hanging cloud at Euro 2024, there are clear skies expected and temperatures of about 25C (77F) when the Three Lions step on to the field to face Slovenia in Cologne. Whether supporters get a performance to match the weather very much remains to be seen.

Four days of criticism and introspection have followed a turgid 1-1 draw against Denmark, a performance that leaves England looking anything but contenders for the title they are openly pursuing. It was hardly an unfamiliar experience, reminiscent of the group-stage encounter with USA in Qatar less than two years ago. But that has not stopped the pressure from piling up on Gareth Southgate and his team, who reached the last 16 on Monday night without playing after Albania were beaten by Spain.

Related: Media ‘stirring the pot’ over my England criticism, says Gary Lineker

The England manager is expected to make changes for the final match in Group C, with a win needed to guarantee first place and a relatively gentle draw in the round of 16. Trent Alexander-Arnold appears likely to lose his place in midfield and there may be changes on the left side, where England have struggled too. There were positive reports on this front from the camp on Monday, when the first-choice left-back, Luke Shaw, returned to full training, although he is ruled out of the Slovenia game.

The opposition are ranked 57th in the world, lower than Iraq and Saudi Arabia (England are fifth), but come into this game unbeaten in the tournament and with realistic hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages. A side that can defend stoutly and play effectively on the counterattack, Slovenia could prove precisely the kind of opponents England do not need as they look to find some kind of rhythm. Slovenia’s manager, Matjaz Kek, has even gone so far as to suggest that “karma will do its part for the team” in this match.

Putting tactics, personnel and predetermination to one side, it is an apparent lethargy and low level of performance that have troubled many fans, raising for the first time during Southgate’s eight-year reign the age-old question of whether the England shirt hangs too heavily on the players.

The debate has provoked something of a back-and-forth between former internationals and the current group. After Gary Lineker had described the Denmark showing as “shit” on his podcast, England’s captain, Harry Kane, retorted, suggesting former players “have a responsibility” to think about the effect their remarks have on current squad members, adding: “With podcasts and things like that people are trying to promote their own channels.” On Monday Lineker returned to his podcast to give his thoughts on Kane’s remarks and opted for another perennial approach: that of blaming the media. Kane had been prompted, Lineker said, by journalists looking “to stir the pot … because they’re too scared to ask the questions themselves”.

As for the supporters, who overwhelmingly have been a positive presence in Germany, there had been no new safety concerns reported to the UK Football Policing Unit by Monday afternoon. Cologne police have identified the match as a “yellow game” of higher risk but are planning an approach of de-escalation first and are confident of managing the thousands of fans expected in the city, many without tickets.

Cologne is substantially bigger than the host city for the last England game, Frankfurt, and the main fan zone in the Heumarkt can hold up to 50,000 people. Supporters have been invited to join the pre-match “fan march”, which has become a feature of this tournament with parades by Scottish and Dutch fans catching the eye. England, though, have yet to take part.

“English fans have the option of meeting at the meeting point Josef-Lammerting-Allee for a fan walk, heading towards the stadium,” the chief inspector of Cologne police, Sascha Wallmeroth, told the Guardian. He added that his impression was that England supporters would not use the meeting point, however, and would make their own way to the ground.