England fans spectacularly turned on Gareth Southgate at Molineux as Hungary pulled off a famous result in the UEFA Nations League.
Just 11 months after leading England to the final of Euro 2020, fans chanted: "You don't know what you're doing" and "You're getting sacked in the morning" at the former Middlesbrough skipper and booed loudly as the Hungary breached the Three Lions defence time after time.
One supporter had to be pulled back by a steward as he lunged into the Press box and screamed: "You lot do your jobs and tell him to go". However, before England's two matches in Wolverhampton, Southgate had stated he would not overstay his welcome as boss - despite a World Cup semi-final and Euro final in the last four years.
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Even then, he could not have predicted that the calls for his departure would be as compelling five months before the World Cup in Qatar. Yet this defeat - in front of 28,839 fans - was against the team ranked 40th in the FIFA world rankings and the performance was simply abysmal.
The omens had never looked great for England on the night as they made it four Nations League games without a goal from open play. Reece James crossed for Jarrod Bowen at the far post with five minutes on the clock but his header was blocked on the line.
The England pressure continued six minutes later when James’ free-kick found John Stones but Denes Dibusz gathered easily enough. Hungary barely managed to get into the final third in the opening 15 minutes with Marco Rossi’s side going into the game bidding for a famous double having won in Budapest 10 days ago.
Hungary grabbed the lead with their first attack after a set-piece on the left-hand side was whipped in for Adam Lang to head into the path of Roland Sallai who controlled well before sending a half volley past Aaron Ramsdale with 17 minutes gone.
Ramsdale - the hero against Italy just three nights earlier - should have done better but he wasn’t helped after Harry Kane’s sliced clearance allowed the Freiburg man to control the ball on his knee and fire home. Stones headed straight at the goalkeeper again on 28 minutes after James’ right-wing corner as Hungary continued to hold their own.
With 33 minutes gone veteran striker Adam Szalai was allowed space to shoot from long range but Ramsdale clutched the ball into his chest. Chances came and went for Bowen and then Jude Bellingham within seconds as the game went past the 36th minute mark but the visitors retained their advantage.
Kane’s deflected shot from long range earned a stoppage time corner but once more the Hungarian defence cleared their lines. Inevitably, Bowen was hooked at half-time after failing to grasp his chance and England were booed off at the break.
Hungary’s lead was still intact after the hour mark and even though Southgate switched to three at the back allowing James to push up the right as wing-back, they struggled to breach the Eastern European side’s defensive rearguard.
Hungary were still in charge mid-way through the second half and that was the cue for Man City star Phil Foden to replace Bellingham. However, the boos erupted again on 69 minutes as Sallai latched on to a ball over the top from Lang on the right and then drilled it with the outside of his boot to beat Ramsdale again.
The Hungarian bench stormed on to the field to celebrate wildly as the visitors closed in on a famous result. Sterling found Foden on 77 minutes but his effort skidded wide of the post.
Moments later Kane hit the bar before being upended by Zsolt Nagy but no penalty was given by French referee Clement Turpin. Nagy then added a third for Hungary as he hammered home from 25-yards to rub salt into the wounds with 11 minutes left. And things got even worse as Stones was sent off for a second yellow card.
Sub Daniel Gazdag raced on to Nagy's pass with two minutes left before lifting it over Ramsdale to make it 4-0. It completed the rout and sparked further protests as England boss Southgate was booed down the tunnel.
