Gareth Southgate has taken full responsibility for England's most humiliating defeat in recent memory amid jeers and chants from the home fans.
England were second-best for so much of the contest at the Molineux in what was the Three Lions worst home defeat since March 1928. Too many key players had an off-night and Hungary took full advantage.
Roland Sailla put the visitors in front inside the opening 25 minutes, before doubling his side's tally with 20 minutes to go. From that point onwards, England capitulated in spectacular fashion as Zsolt Nagy fired home a thunderous third before Daniel Gazdag really turned the atmosphere inside the ground toxic.
Boos rung out while the scoreline was still only 3-0 when Harry Maguire was introduced in place of Bukayo Saka, but the jeers turned to chants once Hungary had scored their fourth. A chorus of 'you don't know what you're doing' rung out, aimed at Southgate.
The England boss cut a lonely figure inside the technical area as he watched on helplessly. After the game, he conceded he gets why the the fans were so vocal in their disdain for what they had just seen.
"Yes of course (he can understand them). In the end, this is about winning matches with England," Southgate admitted. "Tonight was the sort of night that a lot of my predecessors have had and experienced, and it’s difficult.
"I’m not going to say it doesn’t hurt, but it’s very clear to me what we were trying to do across the four matches, and the irony is that the two Nations League campaigns have been the ones that have heaped negativity and pressure onto us. I’ve got to go with that and it’s my job to protect the players. The results are my responsibility."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Southgate the right man to take England forward? Comment below
Southgate then claimed that the sides he has selected for both clashes against Hungary were not up to scratch. "I’ve tried to balance looking at new players, tried to rest players," the England boss explained.
"We couldn’t keep flogging our more experienced and better players, but in the end the teams I’ve selected haven’t been good enough to get the results in the two Hungary games really. I think the other two performances have been more positive than perhaps the reaction to it."
There are just two games left before England's opening game of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and this disastrous Nations League showing could derail momentum before the tournament later this year.
A defeat against Italy in their next round of international fixtures in September will also mean Southgate would have overseen England's relegation from the Nations League with a game to spare.
