England fans clamour for Lee Carsley to play a striker amid woeful hour against Greece after interim Three Lions boss opted to play Jude Bellingham up front in Harry Kane’s absence

England were criticised on social media for their struggles against Greece as they lined up without a striker.

The likes of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer all started the Nations League game at Wembley on Thursday night, while captain Harry Kane missed the game as he continued his rehabilitation from a minor injury.

It meant interim manager Lee Carsley opted to line up without a recognised striker for the game, with Bellingham playing the most advanced out of the attacking players on the field.

England struggled to create chances in the first half of the game, however, with Palmer spurning the best just yards from goal after he was played in by Bellingham.

And fans took to social media to criticise England’s general play in the game and appeared to call for a striker to be included from the off.

Jude Bellingham started in a false nine role but the Three Lions struggled in the match

Captain and regular No 9 Harry Kane missed the game through injury and watched on from the sidelines

One fan branded the call ‘a joke’ as supporters took to social media to slam Carsley’s decision

‘England are at home against a middle range international side who never travel well,’ one fan posted on X, formerly Twitter, giving their assessment of the first half. ‘No striker is a joke.’

Another wrote: ‘How do you have a Watkins and Solanke (both strikers) but decides to play without any striker?

England are very unfortunate with managers.’

A third added: ‘So easy to see: Gordon is rubbish, Trent can’t play anywhere near as good for England as he can for Liverpool. Same as above for Foden

‘It was It’s obvious we should be playing a striker.’

It took until the 60th minute of the game for Carsley to introduce a recognised No 9 into the game, with Ollie Watkins coming on for Anthony Gordon.

Prior to that, Noni Madueke had replaced Bukayo Saka through injury, with Carsely standing firm in his call to play without a natural forward player. 

By that point, Evangelos Pavlidis had given Greece the lead, with the visitors also having a goal ruled out for offside and having an effort cleared of the line after a Jordan Pickford error.

Fans continued to call for the introduction of a striker, with one posting: ‘Why does Carsley have to confuse everyone playing palmar [sic] out of position, no striker, nothing, hardly anything out wide.

‘[We] look so narrow, very easy to defend against and look so open at the back.’

Another, in relation to being asked what England should have changed at the interval, wrote: ‘I’m no expert, but maybe a striker?’

Ollie Watkins was introduced just before the hour mark as England’s second substitute

Dominic Solanke was also on the bench and a second half substitute to play alongside Watkins

Fans called for a striker, with England having just one shot on target in the first 70 minutes

Solanke was then introduced in the 72nd minute, playing up top with Watkins as Bellingham dropped back.

By that time, England had had just one shot on target in the game.