FRUSTRATED England fans rued a number of missed chances as the Three Lions’ crucial Euros clash with Slovenia ended in a disappointing 0-0.
Supporters in Germany and back home at fan zones across the country had been expecting Gareth Southgate’s men to turn their recent lacklustre form around.
However they were left uninspired as England were unable to convert their dominance of possession into goals.
Despite the result England have still finished top of their group and avoided facing hosts Germany in the next round.
Supporters went wild when they though Bukayo Saka had put England ahead 1-0 in the 20th minute.
Their cheers were quickly subdued when the Arsenal star’s strike was ruled out for offside.
Southgate’s team dominated possession for long spells but seemed content to play the ball sideways – to the growing frustration of the fans packing the stands and watching at home.
Conor Gallagher was subbed off for Man Utd’s Kobbie Mainoo at half-time and England started the second period strongly.
However chance after chance went begging – including a promising move just minutes from time that Cole Palmer was unable to finish.
Three Lions supporters had descended on Germany with supporter zones in the UK packed out for tonight’s game.
Fans turned Cologne into a sea of red and white as they posed up in flags against the city’s dramatic cathedral.
England fans dominated three quarters of the stadium in Germany, filling the air with Three Lions anthems and vastly outnumbering the Slovenian rivals.
Hundreds of huge St George’s Cross banners were spotted in the stands as excited supporters downed pints.
Despite the result, passionate fans kept cheering on the men in white as they tried to break down their disciplined opponents.
England supporters across the continent refused to let the scoreline get them down.
And fans are ready to get behind Gareth Southgate‘s side once again for their last 16 tie on Sunday.
England will play their next game in Gelsenkirchen on June 30 – potentially facing fellow European heavyweights the Netherlands.
After the game, England skipper Harry Kane told ITV: “That was the aim, to top the group.
“We played a lot better than the other two games, better on the ball with more aggression and energy.
“We couldn’t find the final pass, the final finish. We look forward to the next one.”
SunSport’s Tom Barclay has given his ratings of the England players.
Jordan Pickford – 6
Largely a spectator due to England’s dominance on the ball. Asked the touchline what the Denmark score was during one break in the second half.
Kieran Trippier – 6
The one positive of having a right-footed player playing left-back is that he can dispatch in-swinging crosses, and one such one should have been headed home by Conor Gallagher before the break.
Marc Guehi -7
Cruyff turn early doors showed his confidence from excellent displays against Serbia and Denmark, and barring one loose pass was good again.
John Stones – 6
One of many to miss his target with his passing. He wasn’t bad but, like others, way off what he has produced for his club.
Kyle Walker – 5
Played so safe, rarely looked to get forward. Was lucky at one point that Pickford was alive to his blast of a pass-back. Sliced cross after break summed up his off-night.
Conor Gallagher – 4
Got the nod after the Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment ended, but was poor, particularly, in possession and replaced at half-time by Kobbie Mainoo.
Declan Rice – 7
Had promised an “in your face” performance from his team, but he was really the only one to produce it. Very good out of possession, much better than against Denmark.
Phil Foden – 7
Liveliest of England’s attacking four by a mile and went close with a stinging free-kick. Booked for dissent, summing up England’s frustration.
Jude Bellingham – 5
Cut a very frustrated figure as he and Harry Kane got in each other’s way at times, while he was often shunted wide left as Phil Foden moved into the middle.
Bukayo Saka – 6
Tapped home on 20 minutes, but it was ruled out for offside in the build-up. OK but once again subbed after the break, perhaps due to fitness concerns.
Harry Kane – 6
Insists he is 100 per cent fit and maybe he is. What is 100 per cent certain is that he has been nowhere near as effective in this tournament as he usually is for England, albeit he was marginally better here.
Substitutes
Kobbie Mainoo (for Gallagher) – 7
Made a difference when coming on, making England much more positive in their play. So much more confident with his touch than Gallagher.
Cole Palmer (for Saka) – 7
Finally made an appearance at this tournament and one clever ball through for Mainoo showed what he can do.
Thirsty supporters were thrilled to learn Germany had rushed in extra beer for them after Scotland drank the city dry.
An estimated 16million people tuned in to ITV to show their support from their living rooms.
A staggering 12million pints have also been sunk in England‘s pubs as temperatures soared to a glorious 28C.
Bosses have already been told to brace for a wave of workers calling in sick after the game.
By Dave Kidd, Chief Sports Writer
England struggled to defeat a team ranked 57th in the world on a frustrating night.
We thought it couldn’t get much worse than the 1-1 draw with Denmark last Thursday but this was another performance to have you tearing you hair out and swearing at the telly.
How can a side which possesses Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden be as bad as this?
Slovenia are not very good and were never going to outplay England as the Danes had done.
But despite dominating possession, England barely ever looked like scoring.
Bellingham was anonymous for a second successive game, Foden flattered to deceive and Kane again lacked peak sharpness.
Aside from a barnstorming individual display from Declan Rice, there was nothing to get excited about.
Nothing to whet the appetite for the knock-out stages, nothing to instil confidence that they can progress much further.
England have won just two of their last games and are in a right old two and eight.
As expected, Southgate gave up on Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield as a bad job, bringing in Conor Gallagher in a move which hardly got the nation’s pulses throbbing.
And Gallagher was duly dragged off at half-time after a shocking display.
Rice’s bold pre-match talk of England pressing hard and fast and ‘in your faces’ probably hadn’t accounted for such stifling hot weather even with a 9pm local kick-off time.
Slovenia were unchanged after two decent draws and were certainly no easy meat.
But England started off as scruffily – long balls from Pickford, losing possession easily and conceding the first real chance to Benjamin Sesko who headed straight at the England keeper.
Kieran Trippier was booked early on as England struggled to gain control.
Foden was being given far more licence to roam, while Jude Bellingham tended to hang wide on the left.
Just as England began to get their passing game going, they thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half.
Rice, who had certainly shaken off the effects of his poor display against the Danes, picked a cunning pass to Foden, who was offside before he squared for Buyako Saka to tap in.
Of England’s midfield three, Gallagher was terrible, Bellingham was so frustrated at his lack of influence that he ended up kicking an ad hoarding, but Rice was sensational.
The Arsenal man had talked a good game on the eve of the match – all gung-ho and ‘up and at ’em – and he was playing the same game, winning the ball high up the pitch and at the centre of England’s best work.
Kane, who was livelier than in the previous two games, had a shot on target and then Foden’s curling 30-yard free-kick was comfortably saved by Jan Oblak.
After John Stones had played a positive pass, Trippier’s dangerous cross was missed by Gallagher, with his head, and Kane, with his feet.
There was more booing at half-time but at least England were showing more desire than as against the Danes.
At half-time, Southgate bowed to the inevitable and replaced Gallagher with Mainoo.
The Chelsea man is an honest worker but not an international footballer.
England began to dictate play in the second half, pinning back the Slovenians, winning corners but never quite finding the final ball.
When Slovenia broke, Stones and Guehi got in a terrible tangle and the latter was booked for hauling down Andraz Sporar.
With 20 minutes to go, Cole Palmer replaced Saka for his first involvement in the tournament
Kane was dragged down by Jaka Bijol after turning the centre-half near the edge of the box but Foden wasted the free-kick.
Then Rice took matters into his own hands, surged into the box but blazed wide.
After one swift late interchange Kane fed Palmer but the Chelsea man drove his shot straight at Oblak.
