England's defeat to Senegal might be their worst ever performance
'England, the lions of Autumn are but lambs come the Spring'. That quote is often attributed to Michel Platini, but I remember hearing it still earlier from the wily manager of Yugoslavia, Miljan Miljanic. Either way, it's always been true.
I have witnessed some astonishingly dire performances from England during countless Springs. We may technically now be in Summer but the key is the players can't be arsed until they are back from their hols. And I don't think I have ever seen a worse performance from an England team than in that 1-3 capitulation to Senegal – the first time the national side has been beaten by an African team. A Francophone African team at that.
Thomas Tuchel will be blamed, of course. But it is hard for me to see past the dilatory, bored, overpaid, dilettante players. Having taken the lead, England played with what the Daily Telegraph called a sense of entitlement, which is correct, but it was worse than that. They were fabulously boring, utterly devoid of either ambition or imagination. Time and time again when they got the ball it would be passed back three quarters of the length of the pitch to the goalkeeper, Dean Henderson.
Senegal employed a tight press which supposedly forced the better technically English players into errors. Why play it out from the back when the press is so avid?
England meanwhile didn't press at all. They allowed Senegal to stroll forwards at will. The English players were second to every marginal ball, created so little and merely watched aimlessly as Senegal knocked in an equaliser. In truth they had been no better in defeating Andorra – Andorra! – by a single, scrambled, goal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Evening Standard
21 minutes ago
- Evening Standard
Tottenham: Thomas Frank handed major boost as Justin Cochrane agrees deal despite Brentford wish
Cochrane is regarded as one of the most promising coaches in English football and Brentford reportedly wanted him to take over from Frank as their permanent manager.
Rhyl Journal
26 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
8 most prolific divers in England's top divisions revealed
The West Country team recorded eight yellow cards for simulation, the most of any team over the course of the past three seasons. Premier League giant Chelsea followed with seven bookings for taking a tumble – the same number as Burton Albion. Manchester City, Newcastle United, Crawley Town, Accrington Stanley and Barrow have been reprimanded six times each after being caught trying to con the ref. (Image: SWNS) Football statistician Statman Dave ran the numbers as part of Snickers' wider Off Your Game campaign, with the Deep Diving Audit offering a data-led look at diving across English football. Dave O'Brien, who pored over match footage, referee reports and extensive game insights to reveal all the most dramatic diving data, said: 'Diving has always been a part of the game, but when you look at the numbers, like I've done for Snickers' Deep Diving Audit, it's clear that some clubs and players really know how to keep things interesting. 'Whether it's tactical, instinctive, or maybe even hunger-related, one thing is for sure, when players are off their game, it shows. 'And sometimes, it's not just the ball that goes rolling.' Nearly all cases of diving occurred in the second half, with a particular uptick during the 90th minute – and 70 per cent of dives took place in the penalty area. With Brighton & Hove Albion being named as the club players have dived against most in the Premier League. Strikers are responsible for 26 per cent of all dives over the last three seasons, whereas in defence, only one centre-back was carded for a diving offence. Looking at the 2024/25 campaign specifically, 75 per cent of dives occurred when the players' team wasn't winning, with the average dive last season lasting nine seconds. Additionally, the average diving age is 22, they most typically wear white boots – and are also English, with these players making up 42 per cent of dives in the season just gone. Diving in the men's game is significantly more prominent compared to the women's – with just one diving booking found on record from the last three seasons in the Women's Super League. Snickers has enlisted football experts Statman Dave and Nada Allali to create a video which uncovers the most over-the-top tumbles across the England's top leagues. Delia Lendais-Metral from the chocolate brand said: 'Let's face it, when you're hungry, you're not quite yourself. 'The Snickers Deep Diving Audit taps into those moments when things go slightly off, on or off the pitch.' 'Whether it's a mis-timed slide or a full-blown flop, this is a fun reminder that staying fuelled helps keep you on your game.'
South Wales Argus
40 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
8 most prolific divers in England's top divisions revealed
The West Country team recorded eight yellow cards for simulation, the most of any team over the course of the past three seasons. Premier League giant Chelsea followed with seven bookings for taking a tumble – the same number as Burton Albion. Manchester City, Newcastle United, Crawley Town, Accrington Stanley and Barrow have been reprimanded six times each after being caught trying to con the ref. (Image: SWNS) Football statistician Statman Dave ran the numbers as part of Snickers' wider Off Your Game campaign, with the Deep Diving Audit offering a data-led look at diving across English football. Dave O'Brien, who pored over match footage, referee reports and extensive game insights to reveal all the most dramatic diving data, said: 'Diving has always been a part of the game, but when you look at the numbers, like I've done for Snickers' Deep Diving Audit, it's clear that some clubs and players really know how to keep things interesting. 'Whether it's tactical, instinctive, or maybe even hunger-related, one thing is for sure, when players are off their game, it shows. 'And sometimes, it's not just the ball that goes rolling.' Nearly all cases of diving occurred in the second half, with a particular uptick during the 90th minute – and 70 per cent of dives took place in the penalty area. With Brighton & Hove Albion being named as the club players have dived against most in the Premier League. Strikers are responsible for 26 per cent of all dives over the last three seasons, whereas in defence, only one centre-back was carded for a diving offence. Looking at the 2024/25 campaign specifically, 75 per cent of dives occurred when the players' team wasn't winning, with the average dive last season lasting nine seconds. Additionally, the average diving age is 22, they most typically wear white boots – and are also English, with these players making up 42 per cent of dives in the season just gone. Diving in the men's game is significantly more prominent compared to the women's – with just one diving booking found on record from the last three seasons in the Women's Super League. Snickers has enlisted football experts Statman Dave and Nada Allali to create a video which uncovers the most over-the-top tumbles across the England's top leagues. Delia Lendais-Metral from the chocolate brand said: 'Let's face it, when you're hungry, you're not quite yourself. 'The Snickers Deep Diving Audit taps into those moments when things go slightly off, on or off the pitch.' 'Whether it's a mis-timed slide or a full-blown flop, this is a fun reminder that staying fuelled helps keep you on your game.' Most dive-prone clubs of the past three seasons (22/23, 23/24, 24/25)
