DOMINIC KING: Misery at Molineux shows how far England have fallen… we are heading towards the World Cup as a team that appears to have COMPLETELY lost its way
- England suffered a nightmare 4-0 defeat to Hungary in the Nations League
- Rolland Sallai struck either side of half time to had the visitors a two-goal lead
- Zsolt Nagy provided England with an insurmountable deficit as he added a third
- The game worsened for Gareth Southgate’s side as John Stones was sent off
- Daniel Gazdag added to the misery as England’s woeful campaign continued
The booing had just stopped when one of the most ambitious statements of the summer was made from pitch-side.
‘Let’s enjoy the highlights from the first half!’ chirruped the young lady who was fronting the Football Association’s in-stadium broadcast. This is absolutely no slight on her but “enjoy” and “highlights” were not fitting for the 47 minutes of mundanity that had just been served up.
Gareth Southgate did not have too many options but to go with the team he did, handing starts to international rookies such as Marc Guehi, Connor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Aaron Ramsdale alongside Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, but he would have still expected more.
England suffered a nightmare 4-0 defeat to Hungary in the Nations League on Tuesday
Winger Rolland Sallai (left) stunned Molineux with his 16th minute opener for Hungary
Sallai poked it home after Kalvin Harris lost possession in midfield to double the visitors’ lead
Playing Hungary, in many ways, was an appropriate way to bookend this international season. Way back in September, these two nations squared up in Budapest and England conjured their finest away performance in three years, winning by four unanswered goals.
That, of course, was the first game after the Euro 2020 final and England displayed the swagger, mentality and ruthlessness you would associate with a top level team. With the exception of Phil Foden, who missed out and was replaced by Jack Grealish, it was arguably his strongest line-up.
What has happened since then will undoubtedly weigh heavily on Southgate’s mind as he tries to have some form of summer break; he could certainly do with one, as he has looked increasingly worn down over this camp.
The Nations League campaign will weigh heavily on Gareth Southgate’s mind over summer
It went from bad to worse as defender John Stones saw red for a second yellow card
Daniel Gazdag compounded the English misery as the substitute chipped in to make it 4-0
He needed a victory and some positivity but what he got was the worst possible outcome – for him personally, for the novices and for the general perception, as we are heading towards the World Cup as a team that appears to have completely lost its way.
Yes, you can lament the timing of these games – there is something preposterous about England playing a home game on the opening day of Royal Ascot and the final day of a Trent Bridge Test – but, still, there should have been so much more.
Those who had been aiming to impress realised once again how big the leap up to international football is. Bowen, for one, had an excellent season with West Ham but here – and against Italy last Saturday – it was noticeable how much he still needs to improve.
Jarrod Bowen had an excellent season with West Ham but needs to improve for England
Southgate turned to three of his most trusted squad members, including Mason Mount (right)
Bowen has a trait of running in straight lines and taking an extra touch when a pass is on and he was caught out in possession a couple of times; the same was true, too for Gallagher, who never looked comfortable in midfield.
It said everything that Southgate’s substitutions were Raheem Sterling for Bowen (at half-time), Mason Mount for Gallagher (56) and Foden for Bellingham (67), the head coach turning to three of his most trusted squad members as England tried to chivvy out an equaliser.
But an equaliser was not forthcoming. What materialised was a night from his nightmares. It is not overstating it to say that England were humiliated and the toxicity inside Molineux as the match reached a painful conclusion was at levels not seen since that night against Iceland in 2016.
How England have fallen. If this continues, the winter will bleak and full of discontent.
Advertisement