Lineker And Shearer Stand By Critique Of England's Euro 2024 Efforts After Kane's Rebuke

Former England strikers Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have defended their criticism of the Three Lions' performances at Euro 2024. This comes after Harry Kane suggested that pundits should be more supportive. England currently have four points ahead of their final Group C match against Slovenia, but their recent displays have been lacklustre.

England's 1-0 win over Serbia and a 1-1 draw with Denmark were particularly uninspiring. Lineker described the performance against Denmark as "s***" on his 'The Rest is Football' podcast. In response, England captain Kane criticised these comments, urging ex-players to be more supportive and noting they had not won international silverware themselves.

On Monday's edition of his podcast, Lineker addressed Kane's remarks. He said, "I thought he answered it fine. There was one bit there where he says we have responsibilities as ex-England players, that we should know better and that we never won anything or words to that effect. Fine, he's absolutely right."

Lineker added that the last thing they want is to be negative and critical. He emphasised their desire for the England team to perform well on the pitch, stating, "The best punditry of all is when England play well."

Shearer also criticised Gareth Southgate's team after the Denmark game and has stood by his comments. He stressed the importance of not getting personal in their critiques. "It's important we never get personal. That's the most important thing," Shearer said.

He continued by saying, "They were terrible and we have to say that. If England were brilliant we'd say they were brilliant, that's the way it is." Shearer believes players always have the opportunity to respond on the pitch.

Shearer further mentioned he has no regrets about their comments, stating, "I have no problem with what we said, I wouldn't take anything back we said." He believes most people in the country and even within the squad would acknowledge their poor performance against Denmark.

The criticism from both former players highlights a broader issue within football punditry—balancing honest critique with support for the national team. While Kane calls for more encouragement from former players, Lineker and Shearer maintain that honest assessments are crucial for improvement.

The debate continues as England prepares for their final group stage match against Slovenia. Fans and pundits alike will be watching closely to see if the team can deliver a more inspiring performance.

The discussion between current players and former stars underscores differing perspectives on how best to support and critique national teams during major tournaments.