England goes back to drawing board as midfield issues remain

By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

The lack of balance and quality in central midfield continues to hold England back despite all the improvements made under Gareth Southgate. There has been a clamor to get some more ball-players into the midfield to give England a chance of retaining possession better against top opposition after being overrun by Croatia in the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and Italy in the Euro 2020 final. There was a sense of anticipation when Southgate selected two attacking No. 8s in Mason Mount and Phil Foden for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Hungary but it led to a disjointed display in a 1-1 draw. The midfield is England’s biggest concern ahead of next year’s World Cup.