Foden 'feels sorry' for under-pressure Southgate

England guardant Phil Foden has said nan players "need to return immoderate of nan blame" for nan team's performances astatine Euro 2024 and that he "feels sorry" for under-pressure head Gareth Southgate.

Southgate's broadside reached nan knockout stages of nan tourney by finishing apical of their group earlier beating Slovakia aft other clip successful nan past 16.

However, nan mode of their play has been criticised pinch questions asked astir squad action and tactics.

“The players person sewage to return immoderate of nan blame,” said Foden.

“There has to beryllium immoderate leaders to get together and find retired a solution to why it is not working.

"There is only truthful overmuch nan head tin do. He sets you up successful a strategy and tells you really to press. If it is not going for illustration that, you person to [work it out].”

When asked astir nan unit connected Southgate during nan tourney and going into Saturday's quarter-final against Switzerland (17:00 BST), nan Manchester City subordinate added: “I consciousness sorry for Gareth.

“In training, he has been telling america to property and beryllium precocious up connected nan transportation and I consciousness for illustration sometimes, it has to travel from nan players.

“We person to beryllium leaders. In games we could person sewage together a small spot much and worked retired a solution.

“So yes, we person spoken astir it more. If it happens again successful a game, we tin get together and find a solution, spot wherever it is going incorrect and accommodate our press.”

Foden was nan Premier League's Player of nan Season and was voted nan Football Writers' Association Footballer of nan Year for nan 2023-24 run arsenic he helped City triumph nan top-flight title.

However, he has yet to people astatine Euro 2024 and has struggled to replicate his Premier League shape successful Germany.

“I’ve not been nan champion subordinate successful nan Premier League to travel present and not show it,” nan 24-year-old said.

“[But] each crippled I’m moving small steps guardant and, hopefully, I tin put successful bully performances for England. That’s ever been my purpose to show it for nan nationalist team.

“The first crippled was very quiet, successful position of really nan crippled went I didn’t person overmuch going guardant for myself.

"The adjacent games aft that I grew. I came adjacent a fewer times and I was offside [when seeming to score] successful nan past crippled [against Slovakia]. Against Denmark I deed nan post.

"My performances person improved a batch and if [the efforts] spell successful no-one’s saying anything.”

Foden besides rejected nan position that erstwhile he drifts wrong from nan near he occupies excessively akin a position to midfielder Jude Bellingham.

“I don’t work together pinch that, I consciousness we do activity bully together,” he said.

“It’s conscionable nan measurement nan games person gone sometimes and nan measurement shot works, [but] I consciousness for illustration successful nan past crippled we did build connected it really well, successful position of keeping nan ball.

"We piled unit connected astatine nan extremity and it tin hopefully click together.”