England were initially one of the favorites to win the Euro 2024, however, that has become a doubt after their recent displays. The Three Lions lost their last friendly before the Euros to Iceland. Moreover, their Euro opener was a hard-fought win. England beat Serbia 1-0 with the help of Jude Bellingham’s goal. Although they led early in the game, Serbia’s attack threatened England’s defense. It has been shocking to see Gareth Southgate’s side perform this way. Additionally, Ian Wright spoke about one player’s upsetting performance. Although Wright was happy with England’s win over Serbia, he was critical of Phil Foden. The former Arsenal forward was underwhelmed with the Manchester City man’s performance. Foden had an exceptional season with the Blues and also won the Premier League’s Player of the Season award, however, he hasn’t delivered on the international stage yet.
What did the former England forward have to say about Foden?
Foden hasn’t been able to showcase his form in this Euro yet. The 24-year-old was seen struggling during England’s clash with Serbia. Moreover, Ian Wright said that Foden was ‘anonymous’ for most of the game. The former England international also mentioned that he didn’t get in the game.
While speaking on the Wrighty’s House podcast, he said,
“People talk about Foden and his positions, I can understand that because of how good he is as a footballer, but he didn’t get into the game today.”
The former Arsenal man added,
“He doesn’t play a free role for Manchester City. Given the team he plays for and the caliber of players he plays with, I don’t think he should be as anonymous as he was today.”
It has been seen that Foden is capable of providing much more, given his performances at Man City. However, the 24-year-old must make moves and get in the game for Southgate’s side. Although the England manager was pleased with his team’s performance, he said that they could have done better in the second half. Serbia’s dominance was seen in the second half with them taking on England’s defense several times in the game.
The Three Lions’ second Euro game ended in a draw
England played their second Euro game against Denmark which ended 1-1. The Three Lions went ahead after Harry Kane’s 18th minute goal but, lost their lead a few minutes later, with Morten Hjulmand scoring for the Danish side. It has been shocking to see Southgate’s side underperform, however, they are still the table-toppers of their group. England are currently on top with 4 points, while Denmark and Slovenia are tied with 2 points each and the same goal difference. The Three Lions face Slovenia in their last group-stage game, while Denmark and Serbia take on each other. It will be interesting to see who the table toppers will be, and which two teams will qualify for the next round. Southgate will want his side to get an easy win over Slovenia, however, they cannot be taken lightly.
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