Despite having booked their spot in the UEFA Euro 2016 round of 16, England are yet to hit top form in the current European Championship tournament.
The Three Lions secured progression – as expected – but weren’t able to finish top of their group despite being the biggest side. Instead, they lost out to newcomers Wales, whom Roy Hodgson’s men happened to beat.
Nonetheless, Wayne Rooney and Co. have failed to impress, leaving fans skeptical as to whether the 1966 World Cup winners can go far in this tournament, something former striker Alan Shearer echoed recently.
Writing for BBC Sport, the England legend gave an unapologetic verdict on the current status of one of Europe’s biggest footballing nation, claiming that the Three Lions are no longer a team that can strike fear in the heart of their opponents.
The Newcastle and Blackburn legend traced the root of England’s problem to their boss, insisting that Hodgson’s uncertainty as to which crop of players are best suited for the starting eleven is the main problem. Alan wrote:
“England manager Roy Hodgson says he does not fear anyone in the knockout stages, which is fair enough, but I do not see any teams being scared of playing us either.”
Wayne Rooney looks dejected after England's 0-0 draw with Slovakia on Monday
“I don't think Roy knows his best XI, or his best system, and that is where we are struggling.”
England finished as the second best team in Group B after drawing 0-0 with Slovakia. The result saw them get piped to top spot by the Dragons, but Shearer is confident that Monday’s goalless hasn’t spelled the end for the Three Lions in UEFA Euro 2016.
“It is not a total disaster finishing second in Group B, because we can still get a favourable tie depending on who is runner-up in Group F out of Portugal, Austria, Iceland and Hungary,” Shearer added.
Portugal, Austria, Iceland, and Hungary will all be in action on Wednesday, as all four teams still stand a chance of making the next round, as per the Group F permutations.
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