FULL REACTION to Serbia vs. England Euro 2024 🚨 ‘WHOLLY UNINSPIRING!’ – Craig Burley | ESPN FC

FULL REACTION to Serbia vs. England Euro 2024 🚨 ‘WHOLLY UNINSPIRING!’ – Craig Burley | ESPN FC

we’ll kick things off with the favorites for the tournament England and taking on Serbia Jude Bellingham would open the scoring after 13 minutes and that was pretty much that for the game uh England sat back Serbia were the better team in the second half Harry Kane did hit the crossbar but it really was a poor performance from England but they do get the victory the three points to open up their tournament start as we welcome in Mark hton is with us Mario Mal as well before we go to them let’s kick things off in the Studio Job Done I suppose it was hard work watching you oh it was hard work watching then I think a a a wholly uninspiring yeah performance uh from England uh we saw you know Germany take a very poor Scotland side apart we saw uh Spain dismantle and experience catian side and we we saw England surrender really a lot of possession way too much to a very mediocre uh Serbia side and I ironically the first 15 minutes was actually quite upbeat from England you know passing and moving and foring drifting off the left and linking up with Bellingham and looking a threat to get the goal was an excellent goal and Bellingham charging through the middle of the park as you’d expect it’s it’s the trademark and then it sort of just went a little flat and Serbia had a cut half chances and then the second half from the moment the ball was kicked off in the second half England were on the edge of their own box I just and and this is and maybe there’s some sort of plan here to conserve energy I I don’t know I I don’t think so uh and it was worrying that England just didn’t go and make a statement and say Here’s two or three goals here we’re killing the game off we’re making the substitutions and this is a cakewalk that’s not the case and that’s going to be I think some of the criticism that comes G South getes way he’ll say like you said job done three points but trust me had this been a better site today than Serbia and England had played in this manner in terms of sitting deep and isolating Harry Kane this could easily have been a different result that’s the point isn’t it to take forward that if this was a proper opposition someone who could take their chances control the ball in the final third we’d be having completely different conversation yes 100% um I think watching the England s today I think it’s all mental I don’t think it was tactics from Southgate he wouldn’t have said to his team once we go on and up there why don’t we just sit back um I think it’s a mentality shift in the players that they need to get rid of as quick as possible these are experienced players that have won the Champions League won the Premier League why is South not out in the touch line I know they’ve won why why is you not in the touch line saying if that was if that was a club if that was a top class coach not that he’s out there and he’s going he’s way he’s not that way 15 20 yards up the field passing the ball his job to do that yeah he’s not the type of manager he wouldn’t do it verbally what he could have done is took Phil foden off and put Anthony Gordon on then you got fresh legs you’ve got a dynamic there when Jared bow came on you know there’s something different late on in the game what do you mean mentality like just take us through like what they’re thinking well go back to the euro final when they played Italy and they were winning one- nil Italy were all over the place it was a prime example where England should have got their foot down and won that game 2 3 4 they didn’t they went one nil up and they panicked a little bit they looked at the score line they tried to protect the score line the they think possession is King because they’re winning one- nil that’s something that I saw today in England you go one nil up and Craigs right 15 minutes that were really good Bellingham was off the charts good him and sacka I thought were the best two players in the pitch by a country mile some players were invisible and I think it’s nerves I think it’s getting over the line where they might grow into the tournament it might be a case where you’re in your first game you’ve seen all the big sides make a statement they’ve got really good wins scored lots of goals they were probably thinking after an hour we’ll take a one-nil win here and we’ll face a criticism and we’ll move on to game to that’s the only thing I can think of but I think it’s mental well England are not good enough to defend a game at one defensively mhm oh just today I meant cuz France would have tore them apart even today that was Edy England are not good enough defensively to just see a game out at one nil that’s not a good enough back four at this level to to do that uh there was a moment in the second half it was early in the second half when and I’ll get to this side of the field a little bit later after the lads but Jud Bingham chased back into the left back area as he does and he want to tackle and he want England to throw in and then he turned to the rest of the backf and he went get up yeah up and his frustration was evident to see uh Mark obviously as a fellow Englishman was that as hard a watch for you as it was for me um it wasn’t great was it but I think we have to accept that it is the first game of the tournament this this sort of performance has happen but what struck me is that you know the guys are talking about how England played certainly second half how slow it was and how ponderous it was unambitious it was know a lot of these guys play for Liverpool they play for Man City play for Arsenal and in their nature is to to go forward and when the one up to go for a second to go for a third so it’s just when they put on that white shirt whether that shirt weighs so heavily that they’re they’re kind of restricted or they’re constricted or there’s something about them when they play for England that they don’t play as they do for the club sides and it’s it’s a concern because Serbia are probably the second best team in the group so it probably will get easier for England from they one in this group and they’ll go through quite easily but Serb not a top team so when they face a team like a Spain or an Italy or a France in the semi-finals if they get that far it’s going to be so much harder because they were conceding possessions to Serb second half and Serbia had some good chances last 15 minutes you know they should maybe have taken one of them so that’ be the concern that it’s the it’s the same old story repeating itself with Inland whereby they can’t keep the ball against teams that can pass it even half well you know the second half possession starts I think I think Serb had the most possession England should be dominating possession the players can do it for the clubs so why they can’t do it for the country I don’t know but it’s it’s a worry because we’ve seen better teams already this tournament and I think against those teams it’ll be the same old story again England will play well they’ll have they’ll have all the energy they’ll be full of commitment but when it comes to keeping the ball and doing something with it that’s when they fall well not fall apart but that’s when they fall down and we’ve seen it before Croatia in 2018 Italy in 2020 France in 2022 when they playing against a team that can pass the ball better than them and be more decisive they lose Mario everything was so slow and sideways and back WS at times from players that we know who are so Dynamic for their Club sides why do we see such a shift in attitude today you know the Jersey could wait maybe a little bit more and also the expectations you understand because it’s not only that you England is watching them it’s also in in my country you know where I am now in Holland it’s it’s everybody’s watching England why because they’re so talented so then when you watch them and you didn’t you you see them going about it it’s sometimes I ask myself you know the season can be really tough you know the Premier League is not an easy Seas I know that but still you when they come to tournaments sometimes it feels like that could be an answer to their energy levels and what I also feel is like I don’t want to beat too hard because this the first game and we all know the first game you don’t have to play your best game and it’s always been like that every tournament where where any country plays it’s not the first game is their best it’s just how you grow into it and making sure that you advance that will be the only positive thing that I have to say about England that they can grow and keep the momentum but the one thing is you know when I talk about the attackers they going quiet I was waiting for Harry Kane the only thing I saw was him making that head with hitting the crossbar I was like wow why why did it took him so long because this is the hurricane that we clearly all of us admire so I was like I was surprised that he was that quiet for so long but was Harry Kane a victim of the way in which the 10 players behind a little bit playing yeah yeah a little bit or maybe a lot but uh I can already see and I don’t mean this is like a a Scottish perspective cuz that’s you know we’re talking about a team England that are one of the strongest and one of the favorites orbe it to have some some issues I can already see a problem in this England team involving one of the best players and that’s Phil foden uh and I think better managers and better teams will pick this tactically out is that Phil foron on that left hand side because bakaya Saka plays right wants to drift at Man City plays on the right he plays a number 10 he wants to drift and he wants to link up with Jude Bellingham and that’s great and when they link up and they go forward and maybe they’ll create better chances as the games go on but if nobody fills in that left hand side and I talked about uh Bellingham doing it in the second half and he did but I think managers will pinpoint the fact that Saka is quite rigid on the right but forden has a license certainly I don’t know if Southgate gives him the license but I imagine he does foren has a license to go and join in to drift and Bellingham and they want to join in with the strikers and that’s fine but when better teams will exploit that Don kepts inuring the game there’s a switchy play on there there’s a switchy play on there now Serbia wasn’t good enough to do it but better managers and better teams will be looking at the video and go we can get at England’s left hand side we suck them in foron will drift inside he’ll look to link up with Bellingham if we can win it quickly there’s going to be a big gap down our right their left we can exploit that because on the other side Saka has quite as I said he’s quite rigid in the way he plays and I think that might be an issue for Southgate going forward he’s not going I mean he’s not going to drop Fen don’t get me wrong he has to find a way to get these players in but get how does he how does he find that see though tactically when you look at where Saka plays right side he’s got he’s got a right back behind him in KL Walker that loves to bomb on and get forward Phil foder hasn’t got that luxury so when you look it on paper and you see field fen’s position drifting in is the best thing to do if you’ve got a fullback on the left hand side that likes to get in behind that’s the way manages like to work he hasn’t he’s got Kieran trippier who’s quite conservative and he’s a right footed player so when Phil foden comes into that space we said first 50 minutes went look at it it’s quite good like foden’s really close to Harry Kane bellingham’s really close to Harry Kane it’s good then what happens is you lose a bit of possession you lose you lose that little bit of confidence you lose half a yard then all of a sudden that space is Craig saying for the opposition is there to pick England off so I would imagine behind the scenes if Luke Shaw can get fit for the next game or the game after that might suit Phil foden an awful lot more if he is going to then drift inside for someone like Shaw who’s a left side of player who likes to get forward to try and get on the overlap because you see it on the right hand side but he’s never going to be fit enough is he not sure he’s never going to be fit enough to do that I mean he’s never you know that’s a big ask I’ve always said it’s a big ask for somebody who hasn’t played for months to come into this level of that’s the difference tactically is when you look at Saka Walker fod and Tripp fing thing is he wants he’s such a talented player and you want to get him in Bingham on England want these players sacka Bellingham foden they want them heavily involved right because that’s where they get the best out of them with rice backing up from behind and the way foron does that generally is not standing on a left hand side because that’s not what he does for Man City so it’s his natural instinct to to drift and I think what as this competition goes on we’re going to see that potentially as a problematic area for England and something maybe Southgate will address or maybe it won’t the other scenario is the Trent Alexander anold question for me was not answered yeah let’s address that obviously he was he was that he was he was lining up alongside Dean rice obviously looking to offer maybe something different with his with his passing ability Mark what do we learn today about his potential to play in that position going forward I don’t think he’s Dynamic enough I don’t think he’s quick enough with the ball at his feet and that isn’t his role and it reminds me a little bit of when David Beckham started playing that role back in you know the tail end of his career he just wants to spray the ball around and you know Trent does a little bit more than that but I don’t think he’s the dynamic midfielder that you want if you’re going to play in some that position play somebody who plays there I know kobby Mayu was inexperienced at man united Adam won even less experienced at Crystal Palace but at least that is the role they play for their club and I think Alexander Arnold it it’s almost like it’s a a celebrity move for him you know he’s he’s done really well at right back and he sprays the ball in but he can’t defend quite well enough so let’s find a let’s find a role for him but he’s not a central midfielder and I don’t think it works and I think against a better team who passed the ball quickly you know a Croatia for instance or a better version of Croatia now passing the ball in little triangles I don’t think he’s quick enough to get around that area to to actually be an advantage to the England team so I don’t think it works and I don’t think he’s going to play at right back so I think the only play should play TR Alexander Arnold is wide on the right as as a right wing back but I don’t think that’s going to happen but for me it didn’t work in that Midfield role because he’s like I say he’s just not quick enough with the ball at his feet he just wants to spray the ball long all the time it’s a weird turn around doie isn’t it because Trent Alexander Arnold wasn’t you know gone back probably 12 months 18 months couldn’t even get in the England squad because Southgate thought he couldn’t he wasn’t a good enough solid he wasn’t a solid enough Defender which is which is you know Fair which is a good argument because we can’t really uh debate that and all of a sudden now he’s in the England squad again but he’s in there because he’s going to play in the middle of the park it seems to me that he’s scratching about in that area it’s interesting you mentioned Adam won who’s been absolutely terrific since he’s been at Crystal Palace from blackborn but that’s a big call isn’t it to put somebody like him in in in a tournament like this it is but then you know why pick him in the first place you know why Overlook a player who plays that role really well in favor of a guy that doesn’t quite know what his best position is you know Alexander arold plays a lot of Hollywood passes great but I think you’re got to make something at the end of it and I just don’t think he’s suited to this team I don’t think he has the the defensive boes in that holding Midfield role or that defensive Midfield role to bring anything to the game and England can get away with it against Serbia they’ll get away with it against against Denmark and Slovenia but as soon as they play against a good team as you guys know that passed the ball quickly in the final third it’ll be chasing shadows and that’s what England don’t need they need somebody who can actually do that job that is required of him and wson does it really well and so was Mayu so you picked them in the squad use them what do you think Mario oh Mario’s gone Mario’s gone uh what’s interesting Mark I thought over all if we have one positive from this performance is we’ve seen it from right you go take it back to gascoin you got Beckham you’ve obviously got Rooney like the poster child for these England sides a lot of pressure on them and very much commercials here just got Jude Bellingham everywhere he showed no sign of any nerves or any sort of um desire to hide did he obviously scoring the goal but as Craig said trying to be that leader on the pitch you know what’s amazing about Bellinger he’s not even 21 yet he’s 21 at the end of June so he’s still he’s still 20 years old and he he’s he’s playing like a guy in his late 20s he’s just carrying that team and a brilliant kind of old old school you know midfielders go you know arriving into the penalty area like heading the ball the back of the net he has got everything that you need and I think for me he’s the captain of that side it’s not Harry Kane it’s JW beningo he’s 20 years old and I think if he stays fitting and have got a chance but I think he needs he just needs a bit of more of a solid base behind him so that when they’re play against the better teams he can do what he does best rather than being dragged back into defensive positions but you know he’s a superstar isn’t he I think you know we we all get a bit kind of fed up with Bal Ando but he he’s a candidate for it he’s one of those players that has got everything I think England have got a worldclass player in the Midfield at the moment I think he can make England go all the way but there’s a lot of issues in that team to address before he does that oh just say it just going to see it was like you Wembley in 199 oh my goodness don’t even compare this guy phenomenal I I’m not comparing you the comp were folks I’ve not been drinking before I come on here I’m not comparing him I’m saying I’m saying Scotland England at wemble 99 when you scored the way that and it was Tony Adams and the way back post Don comes in physically out muscles and gets up we talk about Jude Bellingham he did today he he saw that ball the binghams he’s had all the plot it’s this year but that was somebody that that knew I might take a whack here yeah but as a midfielder you see it and he attacked it and it was a fullback it was tucking around he just absolutely smashed him out of the way bang he was the only one getting he’s Gold Dust absolutely is you could you could write a you could write a book in the last two years of what he’s done top man at Real Madrid played a year 100 million pound player what shirt you want I’ll have zadan please completely boss it you watch him play and he’s got a strut and he’s got an arrogant strut like in a nice way like where he absolutely owns the pitch and everyone feeds off him you just watch him you see him and you see the way he plays always receiving the ball as aie said there Mario said he’s bossing the teammates he wants the ball demands it Craig said there he’s getting his back four up he’s he’s a future England Captain without a shadow of a doubt did you mention the word nerves yeah yes Mario’s back obviously back from me sotic has a Coupes a c of coffee a little glassy wine come back keep chatting you mention N I honestly I’ve not seen and he must be there m there must be think he is Craig no but again I have not seen one iota yeah of this guy as a 16y old now you’re a 16y old you go to you go to Germany you’re for you’re a foreign country you’re away from your family you’re playing for a big Club he must have had the butterflies then he must have been nervous but since then as his career has just blossomed there has been no sign for me with Jude Bellingham that we could be in a World Cup final and I think he approaches it the same way because he has Supreme confidence in and not many people have that Supreme confidence in his own ability as aie said but for it to happen it’s for for somebody such a young age is is quite incredible and to that point it was no surprise to see him play with that confidence today Mar because we’ve seen him doing every step of his career no I think what you guys already highlighted I think when you when you watch a play and I think it’s just a human thing I think when you when you watch him and he’s that confident I think it’s it’s just a moment you have to enjoy it and I think the people that don’t like the confidence of him is probably people that are shy away themselves and they don’t know how it feels but when you watch him how comfortable he is is not only because he’s confident because he wants to be no because he possessed that much of a talented player and when you see him play the way he picks up the ball and if you see how the players give him the ball that’s very important there because sometimes when you play on a football team and you demand the ball you don’t get it all the time but when you get it every time you ask for it that says enough about your ability and about how the team is watching you and that’s what I saw today like how he buzzes around and then you know um Craig all also tapped into photo when he plays on that side the only worry I have with him being so free and if fona would look for another Freedom as well like he is looking for it I’m worried for the break that somebody will hit England with you know if they attack and they become vulnerable when someone hits them on the break and they are not in position to stop that break that’s the only question because if you have one free three men you play like okay it could be you know 10 against him but if you have two then then you start questioning yourself and seeing if you can handle that against the bigger boys that could be a question and then even having a great Bellingham will be a question big question mark forland I wonder if got I wonder at all if england at some point are going to say do you know what I don’t I’m not going to worry about who’s going to fill in next to Delan rice I’m not going to worry about putting a young Kobe minor a young Adam wton a full back in there a Connor Gallagher who he’s a good he’s a decent he runs about right I think he’s a bit of a bull in a china shop to be honest with you uh I wonder if if he says at some point you know what I’ve I’ve made a statement by my squad I bumped a lot of the more experienced players some of the ones have been loyal to brought a lot of youngsters a lot of talent I’m going to set Dean rice and I’m going to get Bingham and Fon and I might bring Anthony Gordon in to run the left and Baya Saka to run the right and we’re going to scare people to death and it’s going to put a big task on Dean rice but guess what Jude Belling is an all-run midfielder he can do both he can get back he can sit beside rice he can get up and and attack and that would give them to me okay you you’re you’re taking out a little bit more solidity in the Midfield but you’re getting people in position you got you got a guarden that can stop a fieldb you got a sack can stop the Feld and you got two players that frighten the life out you with Dean rice who by the way way can get all over the place he can get all over the field I don’t think that will happen but if I was playing against England and he did that I’d be like that’s a statement yeah I think the worry when you watch England is how often they give the ball away they’re not a Spain they’re not a s side like who’s just going to keep the ball so so when you watch England we watched it today and they give the ball away so many times and that’s why you fear for them because what are they are they are the team that can play in transition or player that’s going to play on the Counterattack yes they can but they’re not aside to me when I watch them thinking they can dictate the game they’re going to keep the ball for awful long periods I don’t see that in them well that’s down to the manager yeah because every player that plays on that team plays the teams that dominate position rice at Arsenal Bingham at Real Madrid sacka Fen Kan at Bayern Munich it’s all teams that are used to possessing the ball Jon stones from the back so you know as as Mark said it’s match day one it’s three points but I think there is enough there in this England performance if I was other teams in this competition to look and say yep that’s where we can get at this side well it’s three points that puts them uh top of the table [Music]

Craig Burley, Don Hutchison, Mark Ogden and Mario Melchiot join Dan Thomas on ESPN FC to give their break down to England’s narrow 1-0 victory against the Serbia in their UEFA Euro 2024 matchup on Sunday.

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