Phil Foden has said the ‘players have got to take some of the blame’ for England’s performances at Euro 2024 to date amid criticism of manager Gareth Southgate.
England face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening but have endured an unconvincing run to the last eight.
The Three Lions scored just twice in three group games, before requiring a 95th-minute equaliser from Jude Bellingham to turn around their last-16 tie with Slovakia in extra time.
Southgate has been criticised for a pragmatic approach given the depth of attacking talent available but Foden insists the players must take their fair share of the responsibility for England’s underwhelming performances.
“The players have got to take some of the blame,” the Manchester City midfielder said at a press conference.
“There has to be some leaders to get together and find out a solution to why it is not working.
“There is only so much the manager can do. He sets you up in a system and tells you how to press. If it is not going like that, you have to [work it out].
“I feel sorry for Gareth. In training, he has been telling us to press and be high up on the pitch and I feel like sometimes, it has to come from the players.
“We have to be leaders. In games we could have got together a little bit more and worked out a solution.
“So yes, we have spoken about it more. If it happens again in a game, we can get together and find a solution, see where it is going wrong and adapt our press.”
