England v Scotland Review: Euros 2020

Please note: The football articles that feature on this site are being written by Jack Dixon as part of his work experience. He is a teenager and looking for work experience within the football industry. He is currently studying for his media and art A-levels.

Sometimes in football the anticipation and excitement felt towards a game can get the players motivated and play to their best ability. England went into the game and played like a team who had no desire to win the game. Scotland set-up to get a result out of the game, adopting the mentality of we’d like to win, but we’ll take a draw.

The game was tense. Neither side went on the front foot in search of a winner in any period of the game. Scotland certainly had the better chances to win the game and looked more connected in the final-third. England didn’t play badly. The backline was solid, the midfield tried to be positive, but the forward line just lacked any chemistry whatsoever. The front three of Sterling Kane and Foden lacked cohesion and never looked like threating the Scotland goal. The best chance of the game for either side came to John Stones from a corner early in the first-half, a chance he really should’ve taken.

It’s difficult to understand the lack of substitutions. England have an embarrassment of riches on the bench, yet it was like-for-like substitutions of Foden and Kane off for Grealish and Rashford. I also don’t understand why Phil Foden, the only England player along with Luke Shaw who looked like he wanted to make something happen, was the one sacrificed for the substitution of Jack Grealish. It’s even more confusing when you realise Raheem Sterling, who hasn’t impressed me in either game, played the full 90 minutes and offered very little. I would also have liked to have seen Kieran Trippier come on for Reece James to offer an attacking threat out wide, like Luke Shaw did on the opposite flank.

But overall neither side deserved to win the game and 0-0 is a fair result.

England Player Ratings: Pickford (7), Shaw (7), Mings (7), Stones (6), James (6), Rice (5), Philips (5), Mount (4), Sterling (4), Kane (3), Foden (7).

England Subs: Grealish (7), Rashford (N/A).

Scotland Player Ratings: Marshall (6), Tierney (6), Hanley (6), McTominay (8), Robertson (7), McGregor (6), Gilmour (7), O’Donnell (7), McGinn (5), Dykes (5), Adams (7).

Scotland Subs: Armstrong (N/A), Nesbit (N/A).

MOTM (man of the match): Scott McTominay

England’s MOTM was Jordan Pickford. His distribution was a constant threat and he made a vital save from O’Donnell’s volley. But MOTM for the game as a whole, for me, was between Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay. Billy Gilmour really impressed me with his composure and ability to defend space, a fantastic performance for such a young player. But my MOTM goes to Scott McTominay. Doesn’t normally player centre-back at club level for Manchester United, but he kept Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and any other England player who challenged him quiet. He had composure at points in the game when England looked to be gaining momentum and was solid throughout. A top performance from the Lancashire-born Scot in Scotland’s back three.

Jack