It was, in the end, nothing like child’s play. Games that few of the players wanted have now started by giving Gareth Southgate problems he could have done without. This Nations League opener in Budapest saw England suffer their first non-shootout defeat since November 2020 but also, of greater concern, put in their worst performance in some time; maybe going back even longer.
The 1-0 loss would have seemed all the more sour, given that Hungary’s admittedly superb performance was soundtracked by a very loud crowd, in a game that was officially “behind closed doors” due to previous racial abuse. Around 33,000 schoolchildren were allowed to attend the Puskas Arena, albeit with over 3,000 adults of course accompanying them.
