JOIN USEngland are simply not good enough to compete against the best teams and are just too sloppy to pull off their new expansive approach, Britain’s press said on Friday.
Following at 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in Sao Paulo on Thursday that left their World Cup hopes relying on other results, England have shown they cannot handle the pressure when faced with serious opposition, national newspapers said.
The Daily Mail said England’s defensive frailty had been their undoing, leaving the team unable to handle the World Cup pressure.
“Sloppy, intimidated, scared,” said the tabloid.
“England will need to be the first team in World Cup history to lose their opening two games and go through, if they are to qualify,” the tabloid said.
“It won’t happen, most likely, because there is no guarantee England can win, even against Costa Rica, with a defence that cannot be trusted, not even for five minutes. “Suarez did the damage, but England were struggling for most of the game.
Their performance had been stilted and blunt as the first against Italy was enterprising and zesty. Simply, they could not handle the pressure.
Chances were wasted, tackles were missed, the defence and goalkeeper were on edge from the start.” “Another one bites the dust”, said The Sun.
The Guardian said England had mostly looked ragged and their history of being “shown up” once they face top opposition had resurfaced.
“After four years of planning, all that emotional commitment and all the anticipation that always attaches itself to this tournament, England’s World Cup has unravelled in the space of five traumatic days,” the paper said.