England’s stars came in for razor-sharp criticism from the European media after they laboured to a 1-0 win over Serbia to begin their Euro 2024 campaign.
There had been whispers of a new golden generation coming into the tournament but this crop of hopefuls failed to pass the eye test for Europe’s cynical scribes.
Jude Bellingham thundered home a header after 13 minutes to spring Gareth Southgate out of his seat but England ceded chances to Serbia later on.
So, what did Europe have to say?
John Stones was slapped with a 3/10 rating by French sports newspaper L’Equipe for his performance.
Jude Bellingham was the toast of the European media – but they found little else to praise
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John Stones was handed a 3/10 match rating by French sports newspaper L’Equipe
They felt he struggled in his battle with striker Dusan Vlahovic from the first minute and ‘multiplied his blunders’ throughout the game.
L’Equipe noted that his knock against Iceland and his subsequent illness were factors in him being ‘not in the best form’.
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German outlet BILD singled out Bellingham as ‘the only one who stands out’ – despite England having a host of top stars, including Premier League and Champions League winners.
Per Mertesacker – Arsenal’s current academy boss and former defender – argued that it was a ‘very weak performance from the English’, while Chris Kramer branded it: ‘Simply not good’.
BILD wrote that England will have to ‘step up their game’ if they are to lift the European Championship trophy come July 14.
Over in Spain, Mundo Deportivo felt that there was ‘Bellingham and little else’ to shout about for Southgate’s men.
In a sweeping broadside against the national team, they wrote that England fought through a ‘dull and very even duel’ and believed England would have had a ‘tough time’ against stronger opponents.
Harry Kane was anonymous in their view and while they praised Bellingham’s involvement, they also criticised him for going ‘too far down the field’.
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Per Mertesacker slammed a ‘very weak performance from the English’ in the German press
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Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo wrote that England were ‘dull’ and would have struggled against stronger opponents
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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka partly impressed L’Equipe but were given a 6/10
Were there any positives?
L’Equipe liked what they saw from Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, lauding ‘the quality of his set pieces, his precise crosses for the left side, and the precision of his passes’.
The Parisian publishing titans liked how Saka’s assist and how ‘carried out a series of astonishing dribbles along his line’ and praised his support for Kyle Walker, though they noted that his influence faded in the second half.
Alexander-Arnold and Saka both came in for a rating of six from L’Equipe, while Bellingham scored a seven – not bad considering their penchant for being extra-harsh.
Spanish newspaper MARCA were also more lenient in their assessment of England’s approach in the latter stages, thinking it signified England’s knowledge that ‘in a short tournament it is more important to win than to convince’.