England boss Gareth Southgate received scathing criticism from a fellow manager following the Three Lions' polarizing performance against Serbia in their Euro 2024 opener.
And that manager was Erik ten Hag, the tactician in charge of England's biggest club Manchester United. The Dutchman gave an unapologetic assessment of Southgate following their 1-0 victory over Serbia on Sunday, ranging from his approach in the weekend tie to his overall philosophy.
The tournament favorites picked up the three points thanks to Jude Bellingham's first-half goal and while the Real Madrid star and Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka impressed, the team left much to be desired.
England were the better side in the first half but lost control of the game following half-time, with the Serbs mounting heavy pressure in their search for an equalizer. As a result, Southgate came under criticism from fans and pundits, with fellow manager Ten Hag accusing Gareth's team of being "very passive".
"In the first half I really enjoyed Jude Bellingham. He took England by the hand and lifted them to a higher level," the Manchester United boss told NOS, the Euro 2024 broadcasters in the Netherlands, as per the Daily Mail.
"England were playing very passive. I actually saw them moving backwards, they kept Serbia coming at them," the Dutchman added.
Ten Hag then gave a scathing assessment of Southgate's style, arguing that he relies heavily on moments.
"It's the vision of the manager (Southgate). England will take a 1-0 lead, then he [Southgate] decides to start gambling with making his team compact and relying on moments for the remaining minutes of the game," the former Ajax managed later stated.
Interestingly, Southgate was one of several candidates linked with the Manchester United role when Ten Hag's job was under threat. However, the Dutchman is set to remain in charge of the Red Devils and will likely sign an extension following an extensive end-of-season review from the club's new minority owner.
As for Gareth, his task will be to get England up and running again in time for their next fixture. The Three Lions are top of their group but will face Denmark in their upcoming game, which should be a tricky test.
The Danish were held to a 1-1 draw against Slovenia earlier on Sunday, with Christian Eriksen scoring a touching goal three years after suffering a frightening cardiac arrest on the pitch during Euro 2020.
Will England make it two wins out of two or can Eriksen and Co. overcome one of the tournament's favorites? Tune in on Thursday to find out the answer.