Following England's surprising 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a friendly match at Nottingham Forest's City Ground, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has delivered a scathing assessment of the team, questioning their spirit and togetherness. The loss, compounded by a prior underwhelming 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory against Andorra, has raised concerns just a year out from the World Cup.
Keane, speaking as a pundit on ITV, didn't hold back in his critique. "I look at this England group, and I know we're on the outside looking in… I think there's something amiss here. They don't look like a happy group," he stated, suggesting a deeper issue within the squad beyond mere disappointment with the result. He questioned whether the players were truly united and possessed the necessary spirit.
His criticism extended to individual performances, particularly that of veteran defender Kyle Walker. Keane accused Walker of being "lazy" for his role in Senegal's equalizing goal, scored by Ismaila Sarr. "He is a vastly experienced player who can't be bothered getting back in," Keane said, expressing disbelief at Walker's apparent lack of effort. He also pointed out that goalkeeper Dean Henderson should have confronted Walker about his failure to track back. Keane elaborated, "He should be looking at Walker, as experienced as Walker is, saying: 'Why aren't you getting back in?'"
Keane expressed frustration with England's overall mentality, stating, "Every time I watch England going back over the last few games I just think they can do a lot more. It's as if they are waiting to concede a goal and wait for a setback." He highlighted a lack of aggression and intensity in their play, adding, "One-vs-one we're losing duels, we're losing that aggressive nature we've had. Again, it wasn't good enough today."
The defeat to Senegal, the first time England has lost to an African team, further amplified the sense of unease surrounding the team's current form. While acknowledging that friendly matches are primarily for experimentation, Keane emphasized the need for England to address the underlying issues he observed. Thomas Tuchel, England's manager, also admitted to not being happy with the team's performance and lack of "urgency, quality and energy" in the previous match against Andorra.
Sky Sports pundit Keane told ITV that Senegal played with freedom, enjoyment and a bit of quality. They were gifted a couple of goals but the last one was excellent on the counter-attack. England were booed off for the second time in three days having been soundly beaten on home soil, and though Keane urged the Three Lions not to panic, he questioned the character of Tuchel's squad in their response to Senegal's bright performance.
These comments come after Keane already criticized the team's attitude in their narrow victory over Andorra, suggesting that the players appeared "bored" after scoring the opening goal. "My worry is, sometimes, when I see players getting bored... I felt like some of the players looked like they got bored in the last half an hour, and that's… I don't like to see that," Keane had said.
With the World Cup looming, Keane's assessment serves as a stark warning for England. Addressing the apparent lack of team spirit and individual complacency will be crucial if they hope to compete for the title.
