England’s final match before Euro 2024 didn’t exactly go to plan as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Iceland at Wembley on Friday. The visitors took a shock lead after just 12 minutes with Jon Thorsteinsson firing through the legs of John Stones to beat Aaron Ramsdale from outside the box. And the England […]
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England’s final match before Euro 2024 didn’t exactly go to plan as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Iceland at Wembley on Friday.
The visitors took a shock lead after just 12 minutes with Jon Thorsteinsson firing through the legs of John Stones to beat Aaron Ramsdale from outside the box.
And the England response just never came, with Gareth Southgate’s men looking worryingly short of ideas in the final third and shakey at best defensively.
Of course, there were a number of key players missing from the starting line-up such as Jude Bellingham, Jordan Pickford, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka — the latter two only coming off the bench. Many will also have been focusing on avoiding injury with the first group match against Serbia coming a week on Sunday.
But it was certainly a disappointing night that inspired more worry than excitement.
Here’s how every England player performed on the night:
Aaron Ramsdale – 7/10 – Unsighted for the Iceland goal so cannot be blamed. Was called into action more than, perhaps, he thought he would be but remained sharp and alert.
Kyle Walker – 5/10 – Was out of position on the Iceland goal and wasteful with the ball in the final third. Successful with none of his four combined attempted crosses and long passes.
John Stones – 5/10 – Solid on the ball but perhaps could have done better going up against Thorsteinsson for Iceland’s goal. Took a blow to the ankle in the first minute and was brought off at half-time with no risks being taken over his fitness.
Marc Guehi – 6/10 – Was steady enough but is yet to fully convince he will stand up to the pressure cooker of a major tournament.
Kieran Trippier – 6/10 – Used the ball well but looked to cut back onto his right foot too often. The balance was off with no left-footer in the England defence.
Kobbie Mainoo – 7/10 – Some of England’s best moments came when they gave Mainoo the ball on the turn, with the Man Utd youngster showing composure and precision to get his side quickly up the pitch. Has done his prospects no harm on what was a poor night for the team.
Declan Rice – 5/10 – Was the man England looked to most to get passing moves going, but played too safe and was uncharacteristically sloppy at times.
Cole Palmer – 6/10 – A couple of bright sparks in the first half with some cutting passes but as the game wore on, he started to overthink it and tried to do too much.
Phil Foden – 4/10 – Never stopped looking for the ball but was far too wasteful when he got it. Tried to overplay things time and again, running down blind alleys and giving the ball away.
Anthony Gordon – 7/10 – Completed the most dribbles of any player on the pitch (3) at the point he was withdrawn and looked lively for large spells. Just needs to tighten up his final ball.
Harry Kane – 6/10 – Should have scored just before the half-hour mark but couldn’t get a clean contact. Isolated at times but showed flashes of his brilliance when dropping deep for the ball in a creative role.
Ezri Konsa (46′, for Stones) – 5/10 – Tidy in possession but didn’t look comfortable defending balls behind the backline.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (64′ for Walker) – 7/10 – Immediately added quality to England’s game in possession, creating a couple of openings for Ivan Toney within moments of coming on.
Joe Gomez (64′, for Trippier) – 6/10 – Provided some much-needed width and balance for England. Seemed more willing to hug the touchline and push forward than Trippier.
Ivan Toney (64′ for Kane) – 5/10 – Good movement to get into some shooting opportunities but couldn’t find his range. Rarely involved in England’s build-up play.
Bukayo Saka (64′, for Gordon) – 6/10 – Nothing more than a run-out to get some minutes under his belt.
Eberechi Eze (77′, for Palmer) – 6/10 – Added a nice change of pace for England but just didn’t have enough time to make an impact on the game.
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