Speaking on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel, Gary Neville has claimed that Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips were amongst the England players looking unfit against Scotland.
Nobody needs reminding just how drab England’s performance on Friday evening was. The Three Lions failed to lay a glove on Scotland, while John McGinn and Billy Gilmour had the run of the park in the midfield at Wembley.
Neville says that Phillips and Rice weren’t as quick to close things down against Scotland.
What’s been said?
Neville says that Harry Kane wasn’t the only player he was worried about against Scotland, claiming that Phillips and Rice were amongst the players who he had concerns about.
“My concern wasn’t just the Harry Kane thing, I know the focus was on Harry Kane and how he looked unfit, but the rest of them lacked sharpness. Raheem Sterling wasn’t sharp, James and Shaw weren’t sharp, Phillips and Rice in midfield weren’t as quick to the ball in terms of breaking things up,” Neville said.
Need to step up
If England are to do anything at this European Championships then Rice and Phillips need to step up.
So often games are won and lost in the midfield, and if Phillips and Rice are going to struggle against Scotland, then how are they going to get on against the likes of France, Germany and Belgium?
With all due respect to Gilmour and McGinn, they aren’t two of the world’s best, but the Three Lions made then look like world-beaters.
Gareth Southgate needs to figure out how to get the most out of his midfield.
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