Football fanatics who see the sport as entertainment than the competition it is will agree with me that the Uefa Nations League has been entertaining and a big thanks to the countries who volunteered to be the joker in the tournament.
I don't know what the intentions of these countries are but it would be a terrible mistake to look down on them in the World Cup coming up a few months from now, the results we have seen so far from England and France in the Uefa Nations League as got me asking "who is fooling who?"
France and England already lost out on competing in the next round of the competition, these are the two countries we thought would pose a threat to every country in their respective groups and also grab a ticket to the next round of the competition but they ended up becoming a joker.
How do I explain that both countries haven't won a match out of the four matches played so far in the competition this season?
France has lost twice and drew twice, they reached a dead-end in the competition after losing to Croatia on Monday, and they can't make anything happen no matter the result they get in the remaining matches. They have gotten only two points and winning the remaining matches would still put them behind Denmark which sits at the top of the table with 9 points.
It is a different case for England, winning their remaining matches can turn the game around but it won't happen because they have been the most terrible team in the competition. I can easily compare them to the likes of Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Romania, and others that have scored only one goal in the competition this season.
I blamed Southgate to an extent for leaving the players that can make a difference on the bench and regardless of that, his lineup still consists of world-class players who have failed to prove their worth in the competition so far. We can indeed blame the coaches for making blunders but does that mean the two countries do not have players that can change games individually?
Harry Kane, Mbappe, Benzema, Griezmann, Ben Yedder, Christopher Nkunku, Busayo Saka, Bowen, and many others made a great impact on their club's success last season, and it baffles me how they haven't been able to do their country the favors.
Erling Haaland, the newly signed Manchester City striker has stepped up in a team with less than average players. They have narrowly won three out of their last four matches and Haaland has scored five out of Norway's six goals in the competition. Seeing no one from the French and English teams step up in crucial moments in the Uefa Nations League is suspicious.
England conceded four times against Hungary and couldn't get a single goal, John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Recce James were all in the English defense. I can't recognize any of the Hungary players in the topflight clubs, achieving such a big success look like England and France are trying to fool the world ahead of the World cup.
This same Hungarian team was beaten 4-0 by the English team during the World Cup qualifiers, the team still has the quality and even more talents have joined the team which automatically means a greater result.
They seem to be unorganized but that's not true, France and England have enjoyed dominance in every match but getting goals is the problem. Isn't it surprising that the best part of the team is the ones not producing results?
England has got one of the best defenders across Europe and yet they concede easily, their attackers can't be overlooked and they can't get goals. Should I start digging into the French squad as well? I believe that every team capitalizes on their strength and wins matches with it but it is the other way around.
Anyways, the competition wouldn't have gotten people's attention if not for the upsets. France and England became the jokers in the Uefa Nations League, they have attracted both fans and critics to pay attention to the competition. I wouldn't be surprised if they go on to win the remaining matches to avoid relegating from League A, it looks like the Uefa Nations League is worth sacrificing for the World Cup.
It would be a mistake to write them off ahead of the World Cup, there seems to be more than the eyes can see from their performances so far in the competition.
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