In a recent talkSPORT interview, Southgate expressed his strong dissatisfaction and disappointment with the British media's premature disclosure of tactical information about the England team. He bluntly pointed out that instead of helping the team in the slightest, the leakage of such information added to the difficulty and uncertainty of the game.
Southgate helplessly stated that despite the team's hard work in preparing for the game and trying to keep their tactics under wraps, their efforts seem to be broken by the pervasive media. He revealed that the team had just finished training just two hours later and the media had already started leaking information about the tactics, which left them feeling helpless. He questioned, "How can they do that? How does this help the team? It will only give our opponents more time to study our tactics to find a way to crack them."
Faced with accusations that the media may be getting information from within the team, Southgate did not directly refute them, but he emphasized the negative effects of such behavior. He mentioned that the Swiss team might have dealt with England differently, but now they have had plenty of time to prepare, which has certainly made the game more difficult.
In addition, Southgate responded to the media and public criticism of the team. He said that while he knows that some of the criticisms are fair and reasonable, there are also some accusations that are too harsh and even beyond what is warranted. He recalled his original intention of taking over the England team was to improve the standard of English soccer and to give the fans the joy of victory. He mentioned that the team had reached the semi-finals of three consecutive tournaments, an achievement that should have been a cause for celebration, but the reality was that he had to face some irrational accusations and attacks.
Nonetheless, Southgate is not discouraged or deterred. He said he will continue to struggle with the team, keep a positive attitude and try to adjust the players to their best condition. He firmly believes that as long as the team stays united and maintains its confidence and fighting spirit, it will be able to achieve better results in the upcoming matches. He emphasized, "We are in another semi-final and we don't want this story to end here. We will continue to fight until the very end."
