Soccer
Did England start with 'the worst wingers' ever at a World Cup game?
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Now that the dust has settled on England's deflating goalless draw with Ghana at the 2026 World Cup, the fingers are being pointed at what went wrong for Thomas Tuchel's side.
After the swashbuckling performance against Croatia, the Three Lions gave fans a reality check by putting in a performance akin to many we've seen at previous major tournaments.
Faced with a low block and an organised defence, England failed to break down the African side and created very little in a final flurry in the dying moments of the game.
Tuchel: We all must remain positive after Ghana frustration
Speaking on talkSPORT after the game, presenter Andy Goldstein and Gabby Agbonlahor were particularly critical of the team's wingers Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon, who were largely ineffective in Boston.
So much so that Goldstein labelled the two 'the worst wingers to ever start a World Cup game for England'.Bold and harsh words, but is this a viable argument? DAZN News looks back and tries to find an alternative pairing to that notion.
Mexico, 1986
Wingers: Trevor Steven and Steve Hodge
Two stalwarts of English football during the late eighties and early 90s, who would be quick to flash their array of medals in the face of this argument as well as boast a combined 60 caps between them.
Steven was a title winner with Everton and Hodge tasted cup success with Nottingham Forest; however, when you think of adventurous and attack-minded wingers, these two automatically spring to mind.
In fairness, Steven was more of a natural right-sided player, but never in the maverick mould of a Steve Coppell or Chris Waddle, while on the left, Hodge was always more effective in the middle of a midfield.
Nevertheless, they played on either wing in Mexico, both in the final group game and in the infamous defeat to Argentina - where Hodge's shirt swap with Diego Maradona had made him the owner of one of the world's most expensive shirts.
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South Korea/Japan 2002
Wingers: David Beckham and/or Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves/Trevor Sinclair
Talk about a lopsided argument. On one flank you have David Beckham, one of the era's best right-sided players and possibly England's greatest right winger.
Yet on the opposite flank, no tournament summed up Sven-Göran Eriksson's penchant for trying to shoehorn in players then those who he played on the left. Paul Scholes was a generational footballer, but never a left winger and is one of the reasons he packed in international football long before he should have.
Owen Hargreaves also had a go, but again, a much more accomplished central midfielder than a winger. So, in the end it was left to Trevor Sinclair.
Again, more of a right-sided player, but drafted in late to the squad through injuries, and although he let nobody down against Denmark and Brazil, it's fair to say he didn't last long in that position nor gain many more caps following the tournament.
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Brazil 2014
Wingers: James Milner and Adam Lallana
England were pretty awful at the 2014 World Cup, in fact, they stunk the group out and failed to win a game on the way to getting on the first plane home.
Not before, though, they fielded an almost reserve team in their final group game against Costa Rica. With the Three Lions already eliminated, some World Cup minutes were awarded to squad members, and so it saw James Milner and Adam Lallana on the wings.
Liverpool fans won't be happy, but as hard-working and effective as both players were in other areas for both their clubs and the national team, this wasn't the positions or the performance for them.
The game ended goalless and the pairing were never seen again in tandem as part of England's attack.
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The result...
It may have been seen as hyperbole, but there is a real argument to be had on the performance of Madueke and Gordon and how they could well be the most inefficient pairing we've seen for England at a World Cup.
Discounting the tournaments where the managers played with wing-backs (1998 and 2018), it's a hard task to find a 'worst' pairing.
That's despite Madueke being a Premier League winner and Gordon getting set to play his football in Barcelona next season. Yet, internationally they haven't made their mark, and last night failed to take the opportunity to do so.
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