Former England striker Michael Owen has expressed his disappointment with the team's performance at the recent World Cup, attributing their loss to a flawed mentality.
According to Owen, England's problem began when they took the lead against Mexico, as they "went all negative" and focused on defending instead of playing attacking football.
Owen believes that this mindset is what cost England the tournament, as they "celebrated beating Mexico the wrong way" and allowed their minds to be clouded by the idea of being great players.
He argued that once England took the lead, they thought they were going to win easily, and that's when the manager brought on three defenders, sending a negative message to Argentina.
Owen laid the blame squarely on the manager's decisions and England's mentality as a nation, stating that it's not the first time they've done it and that there's nothing wrong with the team itself.
The England team, along with their French counterparts, will face off in an underwhelming third-place play-off on Saturday.
Owen's comments highlight the importance of a strong team mentality in achieving success in high-pressure tournaments like the World Cup.
The third-place play-off is set to be a low-key affair, but it will be interesting to see how the English team reacts to their disappointing exit from the tournament.
