Raheem Sterling has gone on record in saying that England are under no pressure before their final group game and that there is no sign of panic in the England camp.
Despite starting their Euro 2020 campaign by winning 1-0 against the biggest threat in the group i.e Croatia, England failed to beat rivals Scotland in the following match which leaves them in a dicey situation ahead of their final group match.
England face Czech Republic who are also on three points. A draw will be enough for England to qualify for the round of 16, but that will mean that England will finish 2nd in the group as Czech have a superior goal difference.
The English media were quick to put pressure on the players by claiming that it’s a must win game against Czech Republic, but Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling was quick to throw those sentiments away.
“I do feel there’s a bit of an over-reaction on the whole,” Sterling told British media on Sunday. “I just feel there’s more of a panic on the outside than inside the building.
“I don’t see anyone in the camp that feels any pressure or feels hard done by. As much as we can inside the building the best thing we can do is focus on the training field, focus on what’s being doing inside.
“We really shouldn’t be looking what the papers are saying, what pundits are saying. That’s something we need to take for the rest of this tournament, the more you listen to outside noise, the more it can affect you.”
In many ways, England will benefit from finishing 2nd as they will face an easier opponent in the round of 16. The winner of England’s group is set to face the 2nd placed team of the group of death which includes France, Germany and Portugal.
A win will guarantee first place, a draw will ensure their qualification and a loss will make things very interesting as England may end up finishing 3rd as well.