England squad backs Southgate, says Guehi

BERLIN: England defender Marc Guehi dismissed criticism of under-fire manager Gareth Southgate on Thursday, saying “everyone is behind” the coach. England qualified first in the group but won just one of three matches, scoring two goals and will meet Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.

The Crystal Palace defender said Southgate “has been fantastic for England”, adding “everyone is behind him and we have a really close, tight-knit group”. Named manager initially on an interim basis after England were eliminated by Iceland at the 2016 Euros, Southgate took the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals, where they lost in extra time to Croatia.