Harry Kane Urges Improvement After England's Stalemate With Denmark In Euro 2024

Harry Kane has urged for perspective following England's 1-1 draw against Denmark in their Euro 2024 Group C match. Despite taking an early lead through Kane, England saw their advantage nullified by Morten Hjulmand's long-range strike. The result leaves England with four points from two matches, having previously secured a 1-0 win over Serbia.

Gareth Southgate's team has yet to secure a place in the last 16, with their qualification dependent on the outcome of their next match against Slovenia. A draw will be sufficient to advance, while a win will ensure they top the group. Kane acknowledged that the team's performance was lacking and highlighted areas needing improvement.

"We're struggling with and without the ball," Kane told BBC Sport. "The pressing in both games hasn't been quite right, and with the ball, we haven't been good enough—that's from top to bottom, from me to Picks (Jordan Pickford). It was tough out there with the heat and the pitch. It wasn't our greatest game but we got away with a draw."

Kane's goal marked his fifth in the European Championship, making him the first England player to score five or more goals in both the Euros and the World Cup. However, Hjulmand's equaliser came just 16 minutes later, leaving England unable to respond effectively.

Southgate's side has shown a tendency to drop deep after taking the lead, a pattern observed in recent tournaments. Kane believes this is an area that requires attention. "It's not just when we score that [we drop deep]," he said. "It's something we need to get better at. When teams drop a few players deeper, we're not sure who's supposed to be pressing."

England's record against Denmark remains unimpressive, with only two wins in their past eight competitive meetings. Reflecting on the performance, Southgate admitted that improvements are necessary. "The performance was not what we would have hoped," he told BBC Sport. "At the moment we're not using the ball well enough, and if you do that you'll suffer as we have at times tonight."

Despite the draw, England remains at the top of Group C and is close to securing a spot in the knockout stages. Kane emphasised the importance of staying calm and focused amid criticism. "We're top of the group and we've all but qualified," he said. "I know there'll be loads of noise and a bit of disappointment at home, but we experienced this when we drew with Scotland in the last Euros."

Southgate echoed Kane's sentiments about maintaining composure and working towards improvement. "There's another level we have to find," he said. "There's a huge amount of work to do—that's evident. We have to stay tight. We understand people will be disappointed with the performances, and rightly so."

England will face Slovenia on Tuesday, where they aim to secure their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024. The team hopes to address their shortcomings and deliver a performance that meets expectations.