Euro 2024 comment: Why Gareth Southgate's England face one of the most definitive games of his tenure against Slovenia

Sadly, England have been here before in the group stages of major finals. Many times in fact.

On Thursday, the depressing sketch was played out in Frankfurt. It could have been Sao Paolo, Kaapstad or Monterrey in truth.

Or Dusseldorf or Malmo if you prefer. The latest events were just as galling as the Three Lions played out the same old rotten songs in their opening two games at a major tournament.

Now, as then, it has been the prelude to much hand-wringing. England’s grim – and ultimately fortuitous – draw with Denmark was a classic of the genre.

Ponderous, pedestrian, directionless, disjointed and dire were a selection of the damning words on the chargesheet, complete with phrases such as back to the drawing board and tactically inept.

Just as we have been here before, so, crucially, has Gareth Southgate. Although not quite to the extent of this week.

In the last World Cup in Qatar and at their previous Euro finals on home soil, poor England performances in second games against the USA and Scotland respectively were at least assuaged by good results and displays – a thumping win over Iran and solid victory over a strong Croatia – in their openers.

Not so on this occasion. Much like their last two tournaments, England have four points from two matches, but that’s where the comparison ends. Aside from the opening half-hour against Serbia, it has been pretty unsatisfactory and worryingly suggests that Southgate’s side are regressing.

The evidence firmly suggests that it is now the time for some big calls, arguably the biggest of the Southgate era.

An experienced manager, the ex-Middlesbrough chief has been around the block long enough to know that. The Danish display wasn’t a one-off.

The case for the defence was the stick used to beat England before this particular tournament. In the event, the supposed weakest link in Marc Guehi has actually proved to be their best performer so far.

That attention has switched en masse to deficiencies and major issues further forward in midfield and attack which tells you everything you need to know about an unsatisfactory tournament so far.

Baring something truly remarkable, England have – in essence – qualified for the knock-out stages, given their points haul. No team has failed to reach the knockout stages in a 24-team Euros after gaining four points.

But in many ways, their final group game against Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday looks like being one of the most definitive of the Southgate era.

England do not just have to restore faith within supporters, but within themselves, critically, given events at the Deutsche Bank Park where they played like a group of individuals who had barely set eyes on one another.

They looked like they had hit a wall. An unbalanced side whose problems extend beyond a clear issue at left-back, where they continue to operate without a recognised player in that position with Luke Shaw still not available.

The Rice-Alexander Arnold axis is surely the first area to fix. The experiment of employing the latter – an admittedly talented player – in the central midfield area he strays into for his club but does not regularly start in has failed for the time being.

There are two dynamic young options to sit in a deep-lying midfield role in Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo.

The latter’s big-game experience may give him a slight edge, but both have clear merits. If you are good enough, you are old enough. A vote for either would be a bold and interesting call.

Conversely, Southgate could hand a start to Conor Gallagher or drop Jude Bellingham back. That would be viewed as conservative by some, but the proof would be in the pudding.

Further forward, there is the Phil Foden conundrum, a player who has not looked particularly happy on the left. Move him into a number 10 role, drop Bellingham back and slot in say Anthony Gordon on the left?

Or drop Foden altogether, maybe, as the more nuclear option. And what about Cole Palmer? The push to involve him hit fever pitch after Denmark.

Decisions, decisions, with the next huge issue being at the sharp end.

Despite the conjecture about where Harry Kane is stationed, the fact remains that England’s problems run far deeper than him.

His goalscoring record means he is undroppable. Getting someone to play alongside him may come into Southgate’s thinking, given events.

That essentially means Ollie Watkins. For Kane and Son Hueng-min at Tottenham, read Kane and Watkins? It might be worth a try and all bets are off after this week.

Whatever transpires, expect Southgate to remain calm. He’s that way inclined and is his own man.

Deep down, he will know he has to do something, although the noise won’t necessarily bother him. England have successfully fostered a siege mentality under him before. They certainly have to now more than ever in their biggest test.