England’s Euro 2024 campaign started with a win against Serbia but Manchester United legend Paul Scholes wasn’t impressed.
Gareth Southgate’s men moved to the top of Group C with a 1-0 win in the first game of the tournament thanks to Jude Bellingham’s first-half header.
After a promising first 45 minutes, the Three Lions wavered in the second half, allowing Serbia back into the game although Jordan Pickford was rarely tested between the sticks.
Speaking after the game, Southgate urged his team to be more efficient with their energy, suggesting his team ‘ran out of energy’ in the closing stages of a hard-fought victory.
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The England boss made just one attacking substitution with Jarrod Bowen replacing Bukayo Saka after 76 minutes and Scholes believes the team would have benefitted from having two players who were snubbed from the squad available.
He believes having either Marcus Rashford or Jack Grealish on the bench would have made a huge difference and issued a damning verdict of Southgate’s squad selection.
“Taking a bit of stick after last night, can’t help but feel the hard work from previous tournaments has been wasted,” he wrote on his Instagram story.
“Some brilliantly talented young players but it feels like more of a U21 squad than a senior one.
“Rashford or Grealish coming on for 20/30 minutes at the end brings speed or ball retention, don’t think we had either.
“Anyway fingers crossed they improve and win it.”
Southgate explained that he felt other players in the squad had better seasons than Grealish and Rashford when asked to explain their omission from the squad.
Rashford’s manager Erik ten Hag was on punditry duty for the game against Serbia and admitted the Manchester United winger was below par last year which resulted in him losing his England place.
Ten Hag said to NOS: “Grealish and Rashford were both lacking this season.
“And when you are lacking, you risk not getting picked for your country.”
England’s next group game is against Denmark on June 20 with Southgate expected to make changes to his starting eleven.
Topics: England, Euro 2024, Paul Scholes, Jude Bellingham, Gareth Southgate, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish
Marcus Banks