England wisely set the Euro 2024 bar low with a poor display in defence and attack against Iceland. It’s time to start a dialogue over two certain starters. AARON RAMSDALE That nervous reaction to a slightly heavy yet perfectly predictable Walker back-pass early on set a rather anxious tone.
Jordan Pickford used to carry a similar energy in fairness, but he would channel it with at least one wonderful sidewinder to send England through, whereas Ramsdale hammered that into the stands and pretty much restricted himself to short passes thereafter. Despite the Beaten At His Near Post factor, he ranks about fourth in terms of responsibility for the goal; it absolutely should not have required his services but Ramsdale himself might admit he should have done better. Then there was some indecision at a corner which went unpunished in what was generally just an unconvincing performance.
Justice for Mikel Arteta, basically. KYLE WALKER Quite how he has become both the only fit yet worst defender England have at their disposal is a genuinely impressive mystery. Walker was in no man’s land for the goal and in no rush to leave, creating the issue by joining the press late on and exacerbating it by jogging back as Iceland invaded the space he had vacated to score.
Walker jogging is, in fairness, faster than most people sprinting. But when that famed recovery pace is one of the specific reasons for his inclusion it jars a little to see him make ostensibly little effort to bail out the .