Five talkings points after England lose to Greece at Wembley | OneFootball

Lee Carsley suffered a setback as interim manager of England on Thursday, as the Three Lions lost to Greece at Wembley.

The visitors continued their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League campaign with a first-ever win over England at the 10th attempt. After encouraging signs during September’s camp, the result is a backwards step for England as the Three Lions look to progress in the post-Gareth Southgate era.

Five talking points after England lose to Greece at Wembley

Cavalier Carsley punished

Lee Carsley caused a stir with his team selection ahead of the game, as England opted for an experimental formation packed with attacking talent.

Though the starting side had no recognised centre-forward, the presence of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden in the same side raised excitement in the anti-Southgate brigade, with the former manager regularly chastised for pragmatism.

If Carsley intended to send a statement, it resulted in the wrong one. England were open, with the Bellingham false nine experiment failing and Foden, Saka and Palmer all keen to operate in similar areas of the pitch.

Against a side ranked 44 places below them, England were second best and vulnerable. Southgate’s safety-first tactics were never popular, but this performance perhaps justified his caution.

Foden remains England enigma

Phil Foden is a fantastic footballer. Deservedly named PFA Player of the Year last season, Foden has evolved into one of the Premier League’s most influential talents. The 24-year-old, however, continues to underwhelm in an England shirt. Tried in various roles, none have managed to bring out the best in a player so often exceptional for his club side.

Against Greece, Foden ended the game with zeros next to his name for goals, assists, shots, chances created, dribbles or crosses in 72 minutes on the pitch. He’s failed to score or assist in his last 15 appearances for England and has contributed a modest four goals in 42 caps.

Has Foden become a product of Pep Guardiola’s robotic perfectionism at Manchester City? Arguably England’s most naturally talented player, Foden remains an England enigma.

Three Lions have two problem positions

Amid a myriad of problems on show against Greece, two stuck out in particular. England have two notable problem positions and, currently, look short of options to solve them.

Left-back has been an ongoing issue, with Luke Shaw unable to retain his fitness and Ben Chilwell out of the picture at Chelsea. The former has been a dependable performer for England but has not featured in the Premier League since February 18.

Rico Lewis was the latest to deputise in the role against Greece. Despite his flexibility in a Manchester City shirt, the teenager is not a natural left-sided option and got in a mess before Vangelis Pavlidis’s winner.

Meanwhile, England’s anchor role is another issue. Declan Rice has regularly been tasked with being England’s deepest-lying midfield, though the Arsenal midfielder’s best football comes when free to maraud forward. Rice has plenty of attributes but lacks the ability to control games or receive the ball comfortably in tight areas.

Pavlidis shows the value of a number nine

While Carsley opted against a number nine, Greece got a match-winning performance from their own. There was pressure on Vangelis Pavlidis heading into the game, as he sought to replace Fotis Ioannidis, scorer of three goals in two Nations League games.

Pavlidis has been a prolific presence at club level with 80 goals in 137 games for AZ Alkmaar leading to a summer transfer to Benfica. Unable to replicate that return internationally, he arrived at Wembley with a modest return of six goals in 40 caps for the national team.

A real handful, the 25-year-old bullied John Stones and Levi Colwill on occasion and took both goals with real aplomb. There’s a reason goalscorers are so highly sought after.

Greece display fitting tribute to Baldock

Amid England’s misery, it’s worth celebrating a wonderful night for Greece. Having opened their Nations League campaign with wins over Finland and the Republic of Ireland, Greece moved clear at the top with a first-ever win over England.

It was the 10th time the teams had met with Greece losing eight of the previous nine, while the notoriously poor travellers had never previously scored at Wembley.

Pavlidis’s double downed England to secure a famous result for Greece and their display was a fitting tribute to George Baldock, following the tragic news of the defender’s passing this week. The English-born Greek international drowned while swimming in the pool at his home in Athens, leaving football figures in both countries in mourning. Pavlidis celebrated his first goal by lifting a shirt with Baldock’s name and the team celebrated at full-time with the jersey in honour of their teammate.

“It was a really special game and we did it for George Baldock and his family,” Pavlidis said at full-time.

“More important is the emotion as we are humans. He has been in our thoughts a lot since we heard the news. It was a difficult moment as he was part of the team and a special guy.”

Read – Carsley admits ‘courageous’; England experiment ‘didn’t come off’

See more – Carsley casts doubt on England future after Greece defeat

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