Last updated: 00:19 BST, 11 October 2024
OLIVER HOLT: England were a shapeless mess during 2-1 Greece defeat - Lee Carsley seemed to be strolling to his coronation as Gareth Southgate's successor but this was a nasty stumble
ENGLAND 1-2 GREECE - OLIVER HOLT AT WEMBLEY: Bukayo Saka was nearest the benches, picking at his shirt. Phil Foden, last season's Footballer of the Year, stood on the half-way line, at the edge of the centre circle. Trent Alexander-Arnold, the best passer of the ball in the Premier League, was pushed up high, too. Cole Palmer, the four-goal-a-game wunderkind of the English game, the hottest property we have, stood at the bottom of the centre circle. Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, one of the front runners for the Ballon d'Or, took kick off. Anthony Gordon, the Newcastle winger, sprinted down the left.
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Roy Keane singles out the one England star who dragged the side down in defeat by Greece - and SAVAGES the Three Lions for failing to do the 'basics' and lacking 'pride' at Wembley
Greece were good value for their win on Thursday night and had the ball in England's net on five occasions, though three of their goals were ruled out. Vangelis Pavlidis scored both goals - including a 94th minute winner - to dampen the intrigue infused by a creative and attacking set-up laid on by Lee Carsley .
Greece forward Vangelis Pavlidis dedicates goal to George Baldock after scoring against England in the Nations League - following death of former team-mate by 'drowning' at 31
The striker pointed to the sky and held his black armband aloft in tribute to Baldock after putting Greece 1-0 up in the 49th minute at Wembley. His team-mates also ran over and held Baldock's shirt in the air to commemorate the 31-year-old after his tragic death. The former Sheffield United defender was found dead in the communal pool of his villa in Greece, with local media reporting that he had drowned. Greek stars had also held his shirt ahead of kick-off and a minute's silence was observed by both teams for the Buckinghamshire-born Greek international.
Where are the England stars now from the famous 2-2 draw against Greece in 2001? Plenty are in the studio or in management, one is a Mail Sport columnist - and one will be in the dugout tonight
When England take on Greece tonight it will inevitably evoke memories of one of the standout non-tournament moments in the Three Lions' history. David Beckham's superb free-kick in the 93rd minute at Old Trafford in October 2001 saw England secure a 2-2 draw against Greece and earn their place at the 2002 World Cup as they avoided a play-off against Ukraine. Although Sven-Goran Eriksson's side were ultimately knocked out in the quarter-finals in 2002, Beckham's free-kick against Greece has gone down in folklore.
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Who should start for England? Our experts make their picks including how to get Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham in the lineup, Ollie Watkins versus Harry Kane and Phil Foden at false nine
MAIL SPORT EXPERTS: with Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka in blistering form, will there still be places for Premier League player of the season Phil Foden and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham? The picture in defence is no clearer, with no out-and-out left back in the squad and injuries to several centre backs. On top of that, Kyle Walker 's form for Manchester City and England is a worry.
Alvaro Morata opens up on battle with 'depression' and suffering from 'panic attacks' - as Spain star admits 'there came a time when I couldn't lace my boots' due to mental health struggles
Alvaro Morata has admitted 'there came a time when I couldn't lace up my boots' as he opened up on his battle with 'depression' in recent years. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid striker recently took his talents to Italy as he joined AC Milan in the summer, after his triumph with Spain at Euro 2024. Morata captained the side throughout the tournament as they went on to lift the trophy after a dramatic 2-1 win over England in the final.
PREMIER LEAGUE REPORT CARD - PART TWO: Arne Slot's Liverpool are flying, Man United are a shambles and have made a historically bad start, while Wolves are having a stinker!
We may only be seven games into the season, but already, it has the makings of becoming a memorable one. Teams have had varying successes in an electrifying first two months as we head into the second international break. Not many expected Arne Slot's Liverpool to be leading the pack early doors, but the Reds currently sit pretty at the top just one point ahead of the two Premier League title favourites, Manchester City and Arsenal. Meanwhile, at the bottom end, newly-promoted Southampton have been smacked with the reality of just how tough the league is, while Wolves are more than matching the Saints' poor start to the campaign. Here at Mail Sport, we kicked off our Premier League report cards by assessing the Gunners all the way through to Ipswich Town. Sadly, fans of the other 10 Premier League clubs have had to wait to see the grade their side has been given.
GEORGE BALDOCK DEAD AT 31
'Heartbroken' Ben Chilwell leads tributes to George Baldock, 31, after his tragic passing having partied with the ex-Premier League star when they were younger - as his family state their shock
Chelsea and England defender Ben Chilwell has paid tribute to his former team-mate George Baldock, who tragically died at the age of 31, while his family say they are 'in shock'. The former Premier League defender, who was playing for Greek club Panathinaikos in Athens, was discovered after his wife back home in England had been unable to get hold of him for several hours, local newspapers report. The owner of his luxury property was reportedly contacted and apparently found him in the pool. The emergency services were called and arrived in nine minutes, but he could not be revived.
George Baldock dead at 31: Ex-Sheffield United defender found in the pool of his home in Greece as his current club Panathinaikos express their 'shock' while 'mourning his untimely death'
The defender, 31, was discovered after his wife back in England had been unable to get hold of him for several hours, local newspapers report. Fellow Premier League players including Harry Maguire have led tributes to the footballer - with the former Manchester United captain simply posting 'RIP', alongside a broken heart emoji. Baldock joined Panathinaikos in the summer after spending seven celebrated seasons with the Blades, where he was dubbed 'Furious George,' in the Premier League and Championship.
Kudos to Lee Carsley for choosing the bold option and proving he is no Gareth Southgate clone, writes IAN LADYMAN
IAN LADYMAN: The first thing Lee Carsley said when naming his squad for his opening two games as England boss was that he wanted to put his own mark on things. Against Greece in game three of the Nations League on Thursday evening, we can expect that stated aim to continue apace. Carsley, however long he stays in a post that still has 'interim' attached to it, is not a manager who is here to stand still. Those who know him say it has never been his way.
Erik ten Hag believes he will STAY as Manchester United manager and is preparing for their Premier League clash with Brentford amid wall of silence following INEOS chiefs' six-hour meeting
CHRIS WHEELER: Erik ten Hag is planning on being in charge for Manchester United's next game after the international break despite a wall of silence over his future from the club. Ten Hag has won just two of his eight games since chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth publicly backed him last month, while stressing that they started work at United in July after the decision was made to keep the Dutchman and extend his contract.
Like father, like son! Cristiano Ronaldo puts his eldest child Jnr through an intense gym workout as superstar dad turns personal trainer with no mercy
Cristiano Ronaldo (inset) turned personal trainer as he put his son Ronaldo Jnr through an intense gym workout after the pair shared breakfast together one morning in Saudi Arabia. Now playing for Al-Nassr 's academy with Ronaldo Snr the star of the club's first-team, the 14-year-old is training with his dad in their private gym in a bid to continue his development.