Lee Carsley’s hopes of landing the England job on a permanent basis took a blow after a terrible showing at Wembley in the Nations League
England kicked off their October international fixtures with a dreadful 2-1 loss at home to Greece in the Nations League.
The Three Lions were second-best for much of the evening and were deserved losers on Thursday night.
Lee Carsley’s decision to start an ultra-attacking lineup backfired and there will be questions over his credentials for the managerial role on a full-time basis.
England were punished for not taking the game to Greece when they fell behind just after the break. Star striker Vangelis Pavlidis tiptoed away from Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold and John Stones before firing past Pickford from close range.
Lee Carsley’s men continued to look vulnerable on the counter and again had a late offside flag to thank after Greece again had the ball in the net, while Ollie Watkins’ first touch after coming on saw him clip the crossbar.
Twice more were Greece denied a second goal by offside calls before Jude Bellingham dragged England level in the dying embers with a super strike from the edge of the box.
But deep into stoppage time, Pavlidis scrambled in his second goal of the evening to snatch back all three points for Greece.
GOAL rates England’s players from Wembley Stadium…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Jordan Pickford (4/10):
Set the tone for the evening with some haphazard antics in the opening exchanges of the game. A little unclear if his long-range kicking helped England or if he was just showing off.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):
Came up with a couple of teasing crosses but without any luck in finding an assist. Greece continually sought to counter into the space he vacated when bombing forward and into midfield.
John Stones (5/10):
Named as captain for the night in the absence of the injured Harry Kane but didn’t carry the required seniority to play that part well enough. Eased off Pavlidis leading to Greece’s deadlock-breaker.
Levi Colwill (6/10):
Made an outstanding recovery clearance to deny Greece in the first half, while he also wasn’t afraid to switch play and go long when necessary.
Rico Lewis (6/10):
Never shrank under the Wembley spotlight and was eager to play with the ball at his feet, despite his Greek counterparts continually finding ways to knock him out of stride due to his smaller stature.
Midfield
Bukayo Saka (5/10):
Booked for a cynical trip late in the first half and limped off with an injury at the start of the second. Found his pathways into the box blocked off by blue shirts more often than not.
Cole Palmer (6/10):
Spurned a fantastic opening to give England the lead in the first half and that came back to haunt the hosts. Worked hard but doesn’t suit playing in a deeper midfield role, even if his looped passing opened Greece up on occasion.
Declan Rice (6/10):
Had to do a lot of water-carrying due to the attacking riches in from the start. Like Arsenal team-mate Saka was also shown a yellow card for a late foul.
Anthony Gordon (6/10):
Always positioned himself off the shoulder of the last man ready to burst in behind. Combined well with Bellingham in the left channel. Came off for Watkins with England in need of a goal.
Attack
Phil Foden (4/10):
New position, new role, new manager, but Foden remains the odd-man-out in England’s attack. Perhaps still lacking in match sharpness having only recently returned to full fitness. Hauled off for Solanke.
Jude Bellingham (6/10):
England’s most advanced forward from the start, though did drop deeper to link play and win possession back. This, however, meant he posed little threat in the 18-yard box. Dropped back deeper after Watkins and Solanke’s introductions, allowing him to arrive in the right place to equalise.
Subs & Manager
Noni Madueke (5/10):
Replaced Saka immediately after Greece’s opening goal.
Ollie Watkins (6/10):
Came on in place of Gordon and hit the bar with his first opportunity.
Dominic Solanke (6/10):
Made his first England appearance in seven years when he was brought on for Foden. It was his scuffed shot that led to Bellingham firing England level.
Lee Carsley (4/10):
England fans have long craved for attacking lineups and some seeming semblance of ambition, but this experiment was a failure and showed why balance is key to international football.