Oh dear! This match did not quite go the way we all expected, and the expectation was part of the problem. Lee Carsley's good start to his tenure as interim Head Coach of the England team looked set to continue with the visit of the Greek National side, but, alas, Carsley was to make many wrong calls as was proved by the display of his team.

Admittedly, the Coach was not helped by the withdrawal through injury of some of his best defensive players, but that did not excuse the shambles of a performance from his team. The expectation was there because of the talent on display, but as it proved, talent alone is not enough to win football matches. Right from the start the flaws in the formation of the team could be seen, although it was England who came close in the third minute to open the scoring. The Greece side had hardly touched the ball before Jude Bellingham was able to fire in a fine curling shot which goalkeeper, Odysseas Vlachodimos, did really well to tip over the bar. However, then the mistakes began to happen, and Bellingham was again involved as he lost possession and Evangelos Pavlidis curled a shot past the groping Jordan Pickford but also just wide of the post.

As play continued England pressed well, forcing errors, and one Cole Palmer free-kick just cleared the crossbar, but there were distinct signs that all was not well with the set-up England had. There was an element of mystery on the home player's faces as to what their actual role was.

In the tenth minute Pickford, not for the last time on this night, made a complete mess of trying to clear with his feet laying the ball straight to Anastasios Bakasetas, and then being stranded in no-man's-land as the Greek chipped the ball over him and towards an empty net. Only a magnificent clearance off the line by Levi Colwill prevented the acute embarrassment for Pickford. England's defence was a shambles in these early stages, especially against the quick breaks of the Greece forwards. Trent Alexander-Arnold was repeatedly caught out of position and all the defenders were guilty of neglecting their defensive duties. One attack ended with Konstantinos Mavropanos heading in at the far post, but luckily for England it was ruled out because he was clearly offside. Pickford was having one of those nights when he was like a cat on a hot tin roof, blaming everyone but himself!

But England were also making mistakes all through the team and on 21 minutes there was another near miss from the Greeks, and John Stones, a first time captain, luckily deflecting the shot from Bakasetas just wide of the far post. A minute later and Palmer misses an absolute sitter at the other end after Bellingham cleverly laid the ball into his path. The Chelsea man blazed his shot over when it seemed easier for him to score. Despite their failings England could still create chances. Alexander-Arnold's long pass found Anthony Gordon free on the edge of the area and his looping header went over the keeper, but also over the bar. When Bukayo Saka burst into the box just before the break, the unusually quiet Arsenal man saw his shot deflected for a corner. That was basically it for the first-half but the England formation, or lack of it, was very worrying.

After the break the game started in much the same way as the first-half had begun, with England having a good deal of the possession, but it was Greece who then, deservedly is many opinions, took the lead. A quick break was not dealt with and when Pavlidis gained possession in the box he cleverly wriggled past three defenders and fired a shot past Pickford. Very poor defending by England but a well taken goal nonetheless and certainly not a surprise.

Saka then went off after his poor showing and Chuk Mandueka came on as a replacement. The new man immediately won a corner, but the tall defenders, both called Konstantinos, Mavropanus and Koulierakis (my goodness these Greeks do love their long names!), gobbled everything in the air and when they missed it the goalkeeper did his bit. Defensively the two teams were chalk and cheese and Pickford had a day he will want to forget. Another poor clearance put Declan Rice under pressure, and the Arsenal man was booked trying to stop the Greek player robbing him of possession.

On 54 minutes a far post header by Koulierakis almost found the net only for desperate defending cleared the danger. Then the visitors had another goal ruled out for an infringement and England, all over the place, breathed again. Carsley then sent on Ollie Watkins after 61 minutes and he almost scored after Palmer found him, but the final shot went over the bar. England's play just did not improve as the game went on and another sub, this time for the ineffectual Phil Foden, saw Dominic Solanke come on to try and add some height and weight to the attack. On 79 minutes England almost grabbed an equalizer in a goalmouth scramble, but Watkins was pulled up for a foul. The home team were just not functioning on all cylinders and the Greeks were loving it.

Another calamity from Pickford yet again, as his throw out is easily intercepted and Pavlidis scored again. This time Pickford was saved by a narrow offside decision but dear oh dear, what on earth was he doing? Is it me, or does it scare you when he has the ball at his feet?

Then, with three minutes of normal time left, England somehow conjured up a goal. A good move down the right saw Watkins cross into the middle and the ball then found Bellingham running in and from 20 yards he side-footed the ball inside the post. It was a very good goal and totally out of context with the rest of England's play. Oh well, we all thought at that time, a draw is not a bad result. But Greece were having none of it and they never gave up on the win. Three minutes into added time England's defence once again got themselves in a terrible tangle and the dangerous Pavlidis fired home amidst the scramble of legs.

And that was that, it has to be said that Greece thoroughly deserved their win and England, and Carsley, need to go back to the drawing board for their match in Finland on the next stage of this journey. I always say that you can only start judging a new manager after he has experienced defeat, well, we shall now see.
       

Source Notes