‘There’s no way he should be leaving the pitch…it’s disappointing to see’: Ian Wright criticises Gareth Southgate’s decision to substitute Phil Foden during goalless draw with Scotland
Ian Wright has questioned Gareth Southgate’s decision to substitute Phil Foden midway through the second half of England’s clash with Scotland on Friday night.
Southgate decided to replace Foden with Jack Grealish in the 63rd minute of their goalless draw at Wembley.
Wright was ‘disappointed’ with Southgate’s decision as Foden was one of the few England players to pose any sort of threat going forwards.
Ian Wright has questioned Gareth Southgate’s decision to substitute Phil Foden (left)
Boss Gareth Southgate decided to replace Foden with Jack Grealish in the 63rd minute
Speaking after the game, Wright told ITV: ‘I think it’s plain to see that he (Kane) doesn’t look at his best, let’s be fair.
‘You look at the chances created, Reece James coming into the team, one of the best crossers from his position but hardly any crosses. Not enough balls into the last third for people to play.
‘What’s he taken Foden off for? There’s no way Phil Foden should be leaving the pitch today. It’s very disappointing to see.
Wright was ‘disappointed’ as Foden was one of the few players to threaten forwards
The TV pundit (above) also said that England embarrassed themselves in the 0-0 draw
‘You’ve got someone like Jadon Sancho on the bench, 16 goals and 20 assists doesn’t even get on when we need to create.
‘We can talk about Harry Kane and the chances he could have had or how many touches he didn’t have, but at the same time did we really create enough?
‘We are supposed to be a team that’s one of the favourites to win but I was embarrassed today.’
Wright also criticised England’s intensity, claiming they sat back and let Scotland play out.
He said: ‘I was very surprised with the intensity, the pressing wasn’t there, they sat back.
‘I think they enabled Scotland to build confidence and get into the game and in the end chances Scotland had we were quite fortunate to get a point.
He also criticised England’s intensity, claiming they sat back and let Scotland come at them
He said England were lucky to walk away with a draw after saying Clarke’s side were ‘fabulous’
‘Very disappointing, the substitutions surprised me. I don’t know what to say about that.
‘Scotland’s substitutions were positive as he felt they could get something from that game.
‘At no stage were England in that game where you thought they were getting the upper hand.’
Wright also said that England were lucky to walk away from the game with a draw after saying Steve Clarke’s side were ‘fabulous’.
He said: ‘They (Scotland) were fabulous but what helped them, there was no intensity or closing down.
‘The only thing that stopped Scotland was they didn’t take their chances. We weren’t capable tonight, we are lucky to get out of it with a draw.’