It just feels like a film we’ve seen for decades – over-hyped “great” players who are apparently wonderful but who lack the technical ability to shine in an England shirt – hence why England players can’t keep the ball and end up giving it away cheaply in games. And yesterday was a real prime example of it. Rice was awful in possession, looked like someone pulled out of the stands to play, then there’s the fact that there are apparently only 2 English left-backs in the top flight, both of whom are injured. The goalkeeper doesn’t fill me with confidence either but where’s the competition there?
We can blame the manager all we like, and we clearly won’t be in the job after the end of the tournament, whenever that comes, but unless the game addresses the reasons behind the slim pickings in key areas (GK, LB, CB, CM) then I don’t see how things can improve massively. It’s all very well complaining that Grealish or that boy from Chelsea or whoever haven’t been picked but the issues run much deeper than that.
