A defiant Declan Rice has told fans to expect a different, front-footed England against Slovenia, as Gareth Southgate’s side seek to ignite their Euro 2024 campaign.
The Three Lions are already assured of a place in the last-16 having taken four points from their opening two matches, but are yet to convince in two tepid displays.
As such, there is huge pressure on the pre-tournament favourites to deliver a statement performance in Cologne, with Rice insisting they will set out to “be that team that people want us to be”.
England’s passive approach both with and without the ball has drawn major criticism, with Southgate’s men guilty of sitting off their opposition after taking early leads in both the 1-0 win over Serbia and 1-1 draw with Denmark.
Both Southgate and captain Harry Kane admitted after the Denmark game that England are struggling to press teams high up the pitch, with the manager suggesting a lack of match fitness among some key players is putting a cap on how much he can ask his team to do.
Rice, however, says England will be out to set the record straight by seizing the initiative on Tuesday night, when victory will wrap up top spot in Group C - and ensure Southgate’s men avoid a last-16 clash with Germany.
“I can tell you now it’s not one of our game plans to want to sit in a low block,” the Arsenal midfielder said. “Sometimes you are coming up against top players who do pass the ball well and do eventually make you sit deep.
“It’s about getting that balance right, choosing when to go and picking your moments. You’ll see an England team that will have a different pressing style that we’ve been working on.
“I think you’ll see a team that wants to be on the front foot and wants to press Slovenia high up the pitch.”
At Arsenal, I’ve been constantly wanting to be on the front foot, win balls higher up the pitch
Rice was critical of his own performance following the Denmark draw, when he and Trent Alexander-Arnold were outmanoeuvred by a Danish midfield led by Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Alexander-Arnold is expected to make way for Conor Gallagher against Slovenia but Rice remains the totem of England’s midfield and says he is ready to take responsibility for driving the team forward.
“My game is being on the front foot,” he said. “I love being on the front foot as a midfielder, anticipating passes. I hate having to be stuck in one position and that is why, in the last game, I was really frustrated with myself because I couldn’t get up to their midfield players.
“I don’t want people to think I am comfortable sitting in a position where I am allowing opposition to play.
“With my season at Arsenal, I’ve been constantly wanting to be on the front foot, win balls higher up the pitch. That’s the mindset of the team as well and I think we’ll see that tomorrow in the way we are going to approach the game and the way we are going to go for it.
“We want to top the group, we want to have a great performance. We want to stop these questions about our energy. We want to show we can press high and be that team that people want us to be."
