England Sees Silver Lining In Goalless Draw Against Slovenia At EURO 2024

John Stones understands the frustration of England supporters but firmly believes the Three Lions are on the right track. England drew 0-0 with Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday, though with Denmark drawing against Serbia by the same scoreline, Gareth Southgate's team still topped Group C. That means they avoid a last-16 tie with hosts Germany and find themselves in what appears to be the kinder side of the draw, also evading Portugal, France and Spain.

England had 74% possession and recorded 12 shots, though their expected goals (xG) value of 0.87 shows clear chances were once again at a premium. Their possession figure is the highest the Three Lions have had in a single match at a major tournament without scoring (since Opta have tracked such data, from 1966 onwards for the World Cup, and 1980 for the Euros). That being said, England's combined 1.13 xG against through their three matches is the lowest of any team in the tournament, as they continue to impress defensively.

Stones feels there were clear improvements from the opening two fixtures. Speaking to ITV Sport, Stones said: "Well, we wanted to win, but the objective was to top the group and we've done that, so I'm extremely pleased. It's not always going to be easy, especially not when everyone's got a target on our back to beat us."

Two clean sheets out of three are a great positive for us to take into the next stage. There was a lot of improvement from the other two games. We were free-flowing; we found pockets [of space], created more chances, and I believe it's another step in the right direction.

Stones added that the squad will be critical of their own displays: "[We're] very close [to clicking]. We've got to focus on us and what we can control and be harsh on ourselves about the game, what we could have done better." He continued: "I do feel we took a step in the right direction. Not the result we wanted but I'm so pleased we top the group."

"We've got to beat whoever is put in front of us," Stones emphasised. "No matter who we play, we've got to believe and step up when it counts." Stones is notably the only outfield player to have started all 22 matches for England at major tournaments under Southgate.

Kane's Perspective

Captain Harry Kane echoed his teammate's sentiment: "That was the aim before the start of the tournament. Come top of the group and control our destiny." Kane added: "I thought we played a lot better than in other games. We couldn't just find that finish but we look forward to the next one."

Kane noted that they created some half chances and there were some that they could maybe have done better with. "These games are tough," he said. "We have been here before and stepped it up in past knockouts." He acknowledged that all games in this tournament are tough but expressed confidence in their ability to keep pushing forward.

Upcoming Challenges

England will face either Netherlands or any of four teams from Group E in their next round. Meanwhile, Slovenia will advance as one of the best third-placed sides while Croatia from Group B has been officially eliminated due to Tuesday's matches.

The team's defensive solidity has been evident throughout their matches at EURO 2024. According to OptaJean: "3.39 - England's matches at #EURO2024 have produced fewest expected goals (2.26 for, 1.13 against). Ennui." This statistic highlights how well England has managed defensively despite not scoring many goals.

The players remain optimistic about their progress despite some fans' frustrations over missed opportunities. Stones summed it up well by saying: "I can understand some of fans' frustration with us not scoring or not taking chances; that's football."

The journey ahead remains challenging but promising as England continues its quest for glory at EURO 2024.