Neville Tears Into 'Struggling' England as Rashford and Saka Fail to Deliver Against Panama

England's World Cup campaign hit a familiar stumbling block on Saturday as they laboured to a goalless first half against Panama, prompting a barrage of criticism from the punditry team.

The Three Lions had looked imperious in their tournament opener, dismantling Croatia 4-2, only to be brought crashing back down to earth with a limp 0-0 stalemate against Ghana before this latest encounter. With Thomas Tuchel rotating five players for the Panama tie, England's attacking prowess once again proved insufficient against a well-drilled defensive setup.

Gary Neville was particularly scathing in his half-time assessment, pinpointing three fundamental flaws in the team's approach. "We lack subtlety, creativity and innovation," the former United defender declared on ITV Sport. "The players in wide areas, the final part of their game has been really poor."

The frustration was palpable as Neville added: "We are struggling badly to break them down. He may have to bring on two strikers and do something different."

Roy Keane offered his own damning verdict, suggesting that England had allowed Panama to drag them down rather than the other way around. "Their top players haven't turned up," he said bluntly.

Alan Shearer wasn't sparing in his criticism either, turning his attention to the wide men. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, the former Newcastle striker felt that Rashford and Saka, despite being regularly involved in England's attacking play, simply hadn't made enough of their opportunities.

"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," Shearer explained. "It's been really disappointing from the first 10 minutes when we moved the ball with purpose and I expected us to carry that on but that hasn't been the case."

Even from the England technical staff came an admission that individual quality wouldn't be enough to overcome the stubborn Panamanian resistance. Assistant coach Anthony Barry acknowledged at the interval that the side needed far more than talent alone.

"Talent isn't enough and we need synchronicity and rhythm and routines," Barry stated, reflecting on a first half where England's early aggression had backfired. The constant ball losses had opened dangerous counter-attacking opportunities against a team perfectly capable of punishing such lapses.

Barry outlined the adjustments being considered for the second period, with England planning to increase their tempo in attacking transitions whilst tightening their defensive vulnerabilities. "We will go for verticality and speed on the last line. We have to take care of counter attacks," he said.