The RTÉ soccer panel were far from impressed by England’s tactical set-up against Wales but added Roy Hodgson’s side deserved their stoppage-time victory over Wales in Lille.
A powerful Gareth Bale free-kick had given Wales a first-half lead at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, but substitutes Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge struck for the Three Lions to claim a dramatic win and move to the top of Group B.
The pair were introduced at half-time and in search of a winner, Hodgson went gung-ho for the winner by sending on Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford with just over 15 minutes remaining..
Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling were withdrawn at the break after 45 minutes of toil and the panel believe that the Manchester City player’s form does not merit a starting spot at the European Championships.
“Kane didn’t really get a touch in the first half, but Sterling was awful again,” Damien Duff told viewers.
“They need a bit of spark at half-time and those changes changed the game with Vardy and Sturridge.
“They wore them down in the end. Wales were dead on their feet.”
Liam Brady was also critical of Sterling’s performance and says Hodgson eventually had his best players on the pitch.
“I think Hodgson got his selection wrong in the first place,” he said.
"Questions will be asked" - Liam Brady discusses #ENG team selection in the #Euro2016 2-1 win over #WAL #RTESoccer https://t.co/JClzPAQnem
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 16, 2016
“I don’t think Sterling merits a place in this team. Maybe he (Hodgson) is worried that there’s isn't enough pace in the side and that is why he is in the team, but at the moment he is bang out of form. It’s like playing with a man less.
“He got the right players on the pitch at half-time. He got it right in the end, but questions will be asked about his starting line-up and rightly so.
“A great result for England, but they stumbled over the line.”
The result edges England closer to the last-16 ahead of Monday’s encounter with Slovakia, but Eamon Dunphy doesn’t see England as a tournament contender.
"The defence is ropey, the goalkeeper is ropey...There is something missing"
Unimpressed by the performance of captain Wayne Rooney, Dunphy has little faith in the English rearguard and their experienced manager.
“They are not going to go anywhere because the defence is ropey, the goalkeeper is ropey. There is something missing,” he insisted.
“If Roy Hodgson came to this tournament and thought that the starting eleven was his best eleven, then there is something wrong in his head.
“He was brave enough to make the call at half-time.
"Circumstances forced his hand and I think a more decisive coach would have made those decisions from the start.”
