Who'd be an England manager, eh?
You take the Three Lions further in a World Cup than anyone else has managed for nearly 30 years, you then guide them to their first major final since 1966 and then in two games of the next World Cup you have all but sewn up qualification to the knockout stages - barring a collapse of mythical proportions - yet still all you get is stick.
Yes, England's draw with the United States on Friday night was a massively dull affair. Just like the Scotland match in Euro 2020, the Friday night game with a close rival where everyone is hyped following a good first display is a mighty disappointment. You could almost hear the air going out of the balloon as England continued to uninspiringly pass the ball around and make little chances of note.
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It was an energy-sapping affair that no doubt brought many mad Friday night plans to an anticlimactic end but the waves of mass hysteria and criticism of Gareth Southgate are as bewildering as they are annoyingly predictable. Southgate is not in the entertainment business, he's in the tournament football business and his side has all but made it out of the group stage without breaking a sweat.
The main crux of the criticism is that England, despite knocking in six the game previous, are too boring for all their attacking talent and that Phil Foden should have come on off the bench. Gary Neville, Micah Richards, Wayne Rooney and a whole host of more pundits and supporters were all lambasting the fact that the Manchester City star didn't get on the pitch.
It's hard to argue against them. Mason Mount had struggled to have any impact on the game in the attacking midfield role and Foden's introduction could have offered some much-needed impetus going forward. Yet leaving Foden out is hardly the war crime it's being portrayed as.
Mount is a player every coach he has ever had loves because of his tactical acumen, positioning and energy in midfield, which definitely aren't qualities that lead to much excitement. But the Chelsea man was excellent against Iran and appeared to make a well-balanced midfield with Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.
Mount's safe passing also makes for better control of midfield, something that the more adventurous Foden lacks by Pep Guardiola's own admission. Foden himself has played in midfield just once this season and only six times last term as the Blues boss has moved him forward into the attack. It also can't be denied that Foden is yet to show his excellent City form for England.
It's understandable why he has played just 19 minutes in the tournament so far but that could change on Tuesday. It's hard to see Southgate giving into the noise but playing Foden against a Wales side who have stunk out the tournament and proven very vulnerable defensively could make more sense than the conservative Mount.
City fans will be eagerly awaiting to see their hometown hero in action but the added bonus could be to see how he links up with Jude Bellingham in the middle of the park. With Guardiola's future secure, the midfield looks to be the next area the club will need to future-proof in the summer and they are one of many big clubs supposedly interested in the Borussia Dortmund star.
Ilkay Gundogan is 32, his contract expires in 2023 and an extension is yet to be agreed upon, Bernardo Silva would like to return to mainland Europe, and Kevin De Bruyne will also be 32 by the time next season begins. It's clear that City's midfield will need some rejuvenation in the summer and there isn't a better move to make than signing the incredible Bellingham.
He is still only a teenager but has already proven his excellence on the highest stage and is set to dominate the game for the next 15 years. Imagine how much better he could get under Guardiola's tutorship.
Should Foden start in the midfield alongside Bellingham against Wales it could give City a glimpse into what the not-so-distant future could look like. If it's even half as good in practice as it is on paper then the future is very bright indeed.
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