John Stones was a bag of disasters as England slumped to a 4-0 defeat to Hungary at the Molineux in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday.
England’s international break ended in the worst manner possible as they staggered to a 4-0 loss to Hungary at the Molineux on Tuesday night. The Three Lions dominated the proceedings for the most part but failed to make much of it, with Hungary posing a greater threat on the counter-attack and from set-pieces.
The visitors broke the deadlock with one such set-piece routine as Adam Lang directed an indirect free-kick towards a wide-open Roland Sallai, who slotted the ball past Aaron Ramsdale for the opener. England looked to get back on level terms after that but lacked the cutting edge to trouble Hungary, who came the closest to conceding through an own goal instead of a chance created by the hosts.
The two teams made a flurry of changes in the opening 25 minutes of the second half, but only Hungary got the desired effect. The Magyarok went two up, with Sallai doubling his and his side’s tally with another close-range goal after pouncing on England’s defensive frailties again.
Things went from bad to worse for England, as Zsolt Nagy scored a thunderbolt of a half-volley before John Stone got his marching orders for a second bookable offence. And Hungary wrapped up the win in the 85th minute when Daniel Gazdag converted Adam Nagy’s pass. With the result, England remain rooted at the bottom of UEFA Nations League A3, and The Hard Tackle runs the rule over Gareth Southgate’s men.
Gareth Southgate looks back on tonight's defeat at Molineux:pic.twitter.com/ubhHfdsDsV
— England (@England) June 14, 2022
Aaron Ramsdale: 4/10
Ramsdale could say England’s defenders sold him short for the four goals, but that will be a mere excuse. His positioning was hardly ideal either, and he should have done better to keep out at least two of the strikes netted by Hungary. Jordan Pickford remains clearly ahead in the pecking order.
Kyle Walker: 4/10
Walker’s international break was woeful, and the performance on Tuesday was a testament to that. The experienced full-back struggled to contain Dominik Szoboszlai and Zsolt Nagy on his side, and Hungary found it easy to work around him. Walker looked better after dropping into the back three but only marginally so.
John Stones: 2/10
Stones endured a game out of his nightmares, as he was all over the place on Tuesday. The 28-year-old was caught napping in the opening three goals, and his positive output on the ball was not enough to negate his shortcomings in those moments. Stones’s dismissal was ridiculous, but it capped off a dreadful night for him.
The referee has just sent John Stones off for this! England vs Hungary ⚽️
— SuzeSport (@SportySuz21) June 14, 2022
Marc Guehi: 5/10
Guehi was one of the better defenders for England, but that does not say much, considering he was caught out in the build-up to one of the four goals that Hungary scored. But he won all his ground duels while completing 95 per cent of his attempted passes in an otherwise forgettable evening.
Reece James: 6/10
James was the only English defender who had something of a positive outing. While the Chelsea full-back had his struggles at times, he was solid for the most part, especially when he shifted to the right wing-back spot. James also carried some semblance of threat and deserved an assist for the cross to Jarrod Bowen in the first half.
Conor Gallagher: 6/10
Gallagher made his first start of this international break in what was the worst match for him to feature. The 22-year-old could not showcase his best qualities, with England failing to test Hungary throughout the match. But he still made his mark as he worked hard off the ball while pushing his team forward when afforded the opportunity.
Kalvin Phillips: 3/10
??????? Kalvin Phillips was dribbled past more times (5) than any other player on the pitch for either England or Hungary. He also made an error (1) leading to a Hungary goal.
Tough day. #NationsLeague #ENGHUN #ENG #England pic.twitter.com/gfPpCMFaUl
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) June 14, 2022
Phillips endured a brutal night, one where it became clear that he cannot be England’s sole holding midfielder. Amid links with Manchester City, Phillips’s performance might well have left the Premier League champions with second thoughts about pursuing him. He was caught out horribly for Hungary’s first two goals, with Sallai reaping the benefits.
Jude Bellingham: 5/10
Bellingham blew hot and cold on Tuesday, as he made a sluggish start to the game and lost the ball carelessly a few times. But the teenage prodigy grew into the proceedings as the minutes wore on, only for Phil Foden to replace him by the time he started looking remotely decent.
Jarrod Bowen: 5/10
Bowen was a bundle of energy on the right flank, but he barely carried a threat and fluffed his lines when connecting with Reece James’s cross in the first half. And while he completed all but one of his attempted passes, he showed little quality to last beyond the first half. Bowen needs to up his game in the next international break to cement his spot in England’s World Cup squad.
Harry Kane: 5/10
There was a time when Harry Kane guaranteed a goal whenever he started a game for England. But the international break ended in a forgettable manner, with Kane enduring another goalless outing. The England captain came close to scoring once when he glanced Mason Mount’s cross onto the crossbar, but that was as good as it got for him on the night.
#ThreeLions skipper @HKane reacts to tonight's defeat: pic.twitter.com/OCBb4sIVpr
— England (@England) June 14, 2022
Bukayo Saka: 6/10
Saka was heavily involved on the left flank and barely misplaced a pass. But there was no creative bone in his body against Hungary, and he did not threaten Denes Dibusz in the visitors’ goal either. The Arsenal forward’s impact was stunted further when he shifted to the left wing-back role in the second half.
SUBSTITUTES
Raheem Sterling: 5/10
Sterling replaced Bowen at half-time and continued from where the West Ham United attacker had left off at the break. While the 27-year-old saw plenty of the ball, his end product was dreadful as he completed just 65 per cent of his attempted passes. Southgate needs to get the best out of Sterling to stand a chance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Mason Mount: 6/10
Mount replaced Gallagher with half an hour left and sent in one dangerous cross for Kane, whose glancing header connected with the crossbar. But he fizzled out soon after, with Hungary completing a thumping win.
Phil Foden: 5/10
Foden replaced Bellingham with a quarter of a game left and completed all his attempted passes. But that is all he did as he failed to produce a difference-making moment, as England slumped to a crushing defeat.
Harry Maguire: N/A
A late introduction, Maguire did not play enough to warrant a rating.
