England vs Panama: Keane and Shearer slam first-half display

Roy Keane and Alan Shearer were unimpressed by England's first half against Panama, even though the game was still 0-2 at the break despite England dominating possession. Keane said, "They are struggling, lacking that intensity," while Shearer argued that Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka "haven't done enough with it".

The criticism from Keane and Shearer

Shearer went straight at England's attacking play, saying: "I haven't seen the stats but I can see it with my eyes that Rashford and Saka have been involved in a lot of what England have done but they haven't done enough with it." He also said it was "really disappointing from the first 10 minutes" and that he had expected England to carry that early tempo through the half.

Keane was even blunter. He said England were "not showing their quality", added that their top players "haven't shown up", and said the team "look short at the moment". Gary Neville, speaking on the same broadcast discussion, said the crowd started to get a little bit "ooh" in the last 15 minutes before half-time, with pressure building on the side before the interval.

The central complaint is hard to argue with. England had the ball, but they had little to show for it before the break and Panama managed only 1 shot on target across the match.

Anderson stood out while England waited for the breakthrough

The first-half frustration did not stop Elliot Anderson from putting together a strong display. He played 84 minutes and registered 70 passes in the 2-0 win in New Jersey, while his 92 touches were more than any other player on the pitch.

That is the part of the night that will interest Manchester City, who have been linked with a reported £116million move for him. Anderson looked comfortable in a game that otherwise drew criticism for England's attack, and he kept showing for the ball when the match was still tight.

England finally got the goals after the restart, with Jude Bellingham scoring in the 62nd minute and Harry Kane adding the second in the 67th. The scoreline was tidy enough, but the first-half debate will linger because the performance did not match the control.