da dobrowin： Gary Lineker hit out at Gareth Southgate's "strange" tactics with Jude Bellingham & Phil Foden during England's unimpressive draw against Slovenia.

da leao： Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

The Three Lions played out a goalless stalemateBellingham and Foden were ineffectiveLineker slammed Southgate for his tacticsWHAT HAPPENED?

England's goalless draw against Slovenia in their final group-stage match of Euro 2024 has sparked widespread criticism due to their lacklustre and lethargic performance. Despite progressing to the knockout stages as Group C winners, the Three Lions' performance left much to be desired, highlighting recurring issues in their attacking play.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lineker did not hold back in his assessment of Southgate's tactics, especially the decision to have Foden and Bellingham frequently switch positions throughout the game. This tactical manoeuvre seemed to confuse more than it clarified, as Bellingham, who had been a standout player as a No. 10 for Real Madrid, appeared out of place on the left wing.

WHAT LINEKER SAID

Lineker, on podcast, remarked: "I think he’s spoken to Bellingham and Foden and said, 'Right, OK, you keep swapping. One goes left and then one goes in the 10'. But that’s a strange thing to do, isn’t it, throughout the whole game?

"First half, and even in the second half, I saw sometimes Bellingham’s on the left-hand side. Jude, he’s had a bad night. Having had a great opening game, he’s struggled since. I think he chases lost causes a lot. Sometimes, you can see him sprinting. I understand why because he’s so determined to help the team, but I think sometimes you’ve got to reserve your energy a little bit. But that’s experience. He’s only 20."

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the overall disappointing performance, Lineker found some positives in England's second-half display. He praised their willingness to press higher up the pitch, which created more opportunities and applied pressure on Slovenia's defence.

"In the second half, I thought you could see that if this team continue to play a high press, chances will come," Lineker observed. "And we may have been playing that way because Slovenia knew that a draw would get them through. So, they were cautious and sat back a little bit. I understand that. But I saw enough to suggest that England are improving slightly."