July 17th 2024.
During England's Euro 2024 campaign, Declan Rice's performance received a lot of criticism. Graeme Souness, in particular, did not hold back in his harsh assessment of the Arsenal midfielder. He even went as far as to say that Rice did something "impossible" during England's final against Spain.
Under Gareth Southgate's leadership, Rice had been a key player in the Three Lions' midfield. However, after Southgate's resignation, the 25-year-old's role came to an end. Many had high expectations for Rice, especially after his impressive first season with Arsenal following his record-breaking transfer from West Ham. It was believed that he would be a crucial part of England's quest for their first major trophy since 1996.
Despite being a consistent presence on the field, Rice struggled to replicate the level of performance that had made him a formidable force in Arsenal's midfield the previous season. Souness had previously pointed out that Rice still had room for improvement, particularly in terms of scoring goals. But, even he was surprised and disappointed by Rice's display against Spain, where he completed only one forward pass according to Souness.
In Souness' opinion, England played their best when they were behind in the score. It was then that they took risks and showed bravery by attempting forward passes and trying to create chances. However, in the final against Spain, Souness was frustrated by the team's reluctance to take those risks and instead opting for sideways or backward passes. This had been a recurring issue throughout the tournament for Souness.
Souness was not the only one to criticize England's players. Captain Harry Kane also received backlash for his performance, with many questioning his fitness and form. Southgate even substituted him with half an hour remaining in the final, citing physical struggles. But, Souness believes that Kane's midfield was not providing him with enough support. In fact, he believes that the Bayern Munich striker was let down by his midfield and their lack of presence in the final against Spain.
Souness pointed out that Kane was not receiving enough service, as his teammates rarely passed the ball to him. This meant that he had to come deep to get involved in the game, only to be outmuscled by the Spanish defenders due to the slow pace of the passes. Souness sympathized with Kane and believed that his struggles were not solely due to his own form or fitness, but also the lack of support from his midfield.
Despite the criticism, there were signs of improvement in England's performance, particularly when they were forced to take risks. Souness believes that this is something they need to continue doing in order to succeed in future tournaments. As for Rice and Kane, they will have to continue working on their game and hope for better support from their teammates in the future.
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