Ahead of the Nations League match against Germany, Raheem Sterling has defended under-fire England manager Gareth Southgate, saying: “It’s not time to panic.”
With the World Cup just around the corner, England’s form has deserted them at the worst possible time.
Southgate’s squad are winless in five games and have been relegated from the Nations League after Friday’s 1-0 loss in Italy.
After the setback at the San Siro, several of the traveling supporters booed Southgate, which increases pressure and scrutiny as the World Cup opener against Iran on November 21 approaches.
What Did Sterling Say About Southgate?
Sterling, however, was quick to support his coach ahead Monday’s match against Germany at Wembley, pointing to England’s journey to the World Cup semifinals in Russia four years ago and their runners-up position at the European Championship last summer.
When asked about the criticism aimed at Southgate, Sterling said: “We all know that is what comes with football and playing at the highest level.
🎙 “In football there’s ups and downs”
Raheem Sterling says performances so far haven’t been ‘up to par’ ️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/XDAAdDYQFb
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 25, 2022
“You are under scrutiny and a lot of it is unfair, of course, but that is the level we are at with England.
“We are always under that pressure to win, and this small loss of form is not something we need to panic about. We now have a big opportunity coming up in the winter to go out and show what we can do again.”
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“For what he has done since he has been in the job, he’s taken us to a semi-final and a final, and it just shows the direction we are going in.
“Yes, we know we are not at the level we can be right now, but I still think we have positives to look at.”
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