In their first Nations League match away from home, England suffered their first defeat since the Euro 2020 final, falling 1-0 against Hungary.
The contest was supposed to be held behind closed doors, but over 35,000 people showed up, including 30,000 youngsters.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the game's sole goal in the 66th minute after replacement Reece James was called for a controversial penalty.
Hungary's first triumph over England in 60 years came as a result of that strike. Five talking topics from the Three Lions' setback in Budapest are examined.
Jarrod Bowen was one of two England debutants on the night, but the West Ham winger had a totally different vision of his first game for his country.
Bowen's effort was admirable, but the Three Lions were abrasive, and the 25-year-old failed to generate a chance, connecting with only 15 of his 22 passes (68 percent ).
He also struggled to have an impression on the game, winning only four of his ten ground duels.
When he next gets a chance, the forward will be aiming to make a stronger impression.
James Justin
James Justin was England's second newcomer, but he, too, struggled to establish himself.
Despite a few bright moments, Justin was unable to have a significant impact on the game from his left wing-back position.
Due to a knock, his maiden game for his country was cut short at halftime, and the 24-year-old was forced off in favour of Bukayo Saka.
Given England's left-back problems, Gareth Southgate will be frustrated that the Leicester defender did not make a stronger case for himself.
I've run out of ideas.
In the aftermath of this game, Southgate's main issue will be how lethargic and uninspired England appeared in the final third.
Despite having more possession (57 percent), the Euro 2020 finalists had fewer shots on target (5-4) and rarely put Peter Gulacsi under pressure.
Harry Kane, Mason Mount, and replacement Jack Grealish all struggled in the same way as Bowen did, failing to make an impact on the game.
Is it time to go back to the drawing board?
It's probable that Southgate will reconsider his tactical setup ahead of the World Cup this winter as a result of this performance.
England's back three system provided some defensive stability, but there was a gap between the front line and the rest of the team.
Perhaps Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate will contemplate reverting to a four-man defence, at least in games when England is favoured, forgoing some caution in favour of a more aggressive approach.
"We need to be able to learn quickly."
Conor Coady, who was a key member of England's back three, emphasised that the team should reflect on their performance and learn from it ahead of their forthcoming matches.
He stated, " "We have a big game [against Germany] coming up on Tuesday. "We need to take a hard look at this performance and learn from it as soon as possible." " I thought we got off to a good start. We need to clean up and get back on our feet. Because these are huge games for us, we need to look at how we played and how we move forward.
"We have suffered a setback, and it is critical that we examine ourselves.
"When the penalty was awarded, I believe we were all a little taken aback.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0