Gary Neville makes damning England comment on dull Slovenia Euro 2024 draw

Gary Neville wasn't impressed with England's performance vs Slovenia (Image: ITV)

Gary Neville declared England's performance against Slovenia "sad" as the Three Lions laboured to a boring goalless draw in their final Euro 2024 group match. England won Group C despite a drab stalemate in Cologne as Serbia and Denmark also played out a 0-0 draw at the same time.

Gareth Southgate brought in Conor Gallagher for Trent Alexander-Arnold in his only change to the starting eleven but it didn't work with the Chelsea midfielder withdrawn at half-time. England improved after Kobbie Mainoo’s half-time introduction but still couldn't find a goal.

It was a flat performance that showed little offensive improvement from the disappointing 1-1 draw with Denmark in Frankfurt last week. Bukayo Saka had a goal ruled out in the first half for offside but England were otherwise blunt in attack.

And Neville, speaking at half-time on ITV, admitted he was saddened by what he was witnessing. The 85-cap former England international said: "What we're watching there is just a collection of single passes. Each player gets it then works out what they're going to do next.

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"There's no real in-built patterns that they do off the cuff. At international football that sometimes can happen through familiarity but you need to work on that. We look really basic. Honestly, we look really basic.

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"It's sad because I think we're better than that. The players out there are better than that and I think the players on the bench are better than that. We do look quite basic and that's a problem."

England winning Group C at least means they avoid entering the other half of the Euros draw that now contains hosts Germany, France, Spain and Portugal. Netherlands are expected to await England in the last 16.

Reigning champions Italy who beat England in the final of the last Euros at Wembley could be the quarter-final opposition.

Neville felt that his countrymen improved in the second 45. He added at full-time: "Every time Gareth made a substitution, we got better. Even moving Trent to right-back and Kyle [Walker] to left-back.

"Cole Palmer coming on, [Kobbie] Mainoo coming on improved the midfield balance. So there's something to go off but we're way off where we need to be. We looked so basic in the first half, it moved forward a lot in the second half.

"We didn't get the result but we got a glimpse of what we can be."

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Centre-back John Stones called it "another step in the right direction" even though England were booed off the pitch for the second consecutive match.

While captain Harry Kane said: "We came top in the group and control our own destiny. Tonight was a tough game, I thought we played a lot better than the first two games.

"We had a lot more energy. We were a lot better on the ball. We just couldn't find that final pass, that final finish. All these games are going to be difficult. Now we recover well, enjoy that we're top of the group and look forward to the next one.

"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."

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