Roy Keane delivered a scathing verdict on Wales’s first-half collapse against England at Wembley, comparing Craig Bellamy’s side to a “shellshocked lower-league team” after they fell three goals behind inside 20 minutes.
The former Manchester United captain, known for his uncompromising assessments, accused Wales of failing to compete or carry out even the most basic defensive duties as England produced one of their most dominant opening spells in recent memory.
The tone was set almost immediately as Morgan Rogers fired the hosts into a third-minute lead, lashing home from close range after Declan Rice’s corner was only half-cleared.
It was England’s fastest goal since Luke Shaw’s opener in the Euro 2020 final, and Thomas Tuchel’s men showed no intention of easing off.
Within 11 minutes it was two, Ollie Watkins tapping in at the back post before suffering a heavy collision with the upright that forced him off at half-time clutching his knee.
The onslaught continued as Bukayo Saka added a third with a typically precise left-footed strike from the edge of the area, a goal that not only underlined England’s superiority but also made the Arsenal winger the club’s highest-scoring player for the national side with 13 goals.
It was a ruthless and relentless first-half display that left the visitors reeling and Keane utterly unimpressed with their response.
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Roy Keane delivered a scathing verdict on Wales’s first-half collapse against England at Wembley, comparing Craig Bellamy’s side to a “shellshocked lower-league team” after they fell three goals behind inside 20 minutes
|ITV
“They all end up ball watching,” Keane told ITV while analysing the fixture.
“They are not competing, it was a poor start with England dominating every aspect — quality and physicality.
“No one is doing their job. They look shellshocked, like a lower-league team playing a Premier League team in the FA Cup.
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England players celebrate Morgan Rogers' opening goal against Wales
|PA
“There are brilliant players like Saka coming in and running at you. We could make excuses for Wales, but you still have to do the basics right. They have not competed.”
By half-time, England had racked up 11 attempts on goal, five of them on target, while Wales had failed to muster a single shot.
For Keane, it was a familiar frustration — not just with Wales’s defensive fragility but with their apparent lack of fight.
“It’s not just about tactics,” he said. “You have to compete. You have to show some pride.”
The emphatic start meant England scored three goals inside the opening 20 minutes for the first time since a friendly against Yugoslavia in 1987.
For Tuchel, whose side have now recorded back-to-back victories, it was a vindication of the high-intensity style he has tried to instil since taking charge.
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England star Bukayo Saka netted his side's third goal of the game against Wales on Thursday
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“We had one and a half training days to prepare against a well-trained team and we did very well,” Tuchel said afterwards. “We could have been 5-0 up at half-time.”
Tuchel, who has consistently stressed the importance of togetherness within his squad, used the occasion to reiterate his focus on unity, particularly in the absence of injured captain Harry Kane and the exiled trio of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
“We are ready for any team effort,” he said.
“We created a lot of chances. We could use Harry all the time, but we need to play without Harry and Jude. I think we played an excellent first half.”
For England, it was a statement performance that reinforced Tuchel’s belief in the depth and spirit of his side.
For Wales, it was a humbling evening that laid bare the gulf in class and conviction — one that Roy Keane, as ever, was only too happy to expose.