Graeme Souness has launched a damning attack on England midfielders Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson after the Three Lions crashed out of the World Cup at the hands of Argentina on Wednesday evening in Atlanta.
Thomas Tuchel's side surrendered their lead late on, conceding twice in the final five minutes to end their dreams of becoming the first England team to win a major tournament since 1966. Lautaro Martinez's 92nd-minute header won the tie for the South American nation, providing Three Lions supporters with yet another devastating gut punch.
England have received significant criticism for the way they approached the game after going a goal up, with the majority of this scrutiny aimed at Tuchel.
However, Scotsman Souness has gone down a different route, firing digs at two of the team's star players.
Graeme Souness Berates Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson After England vs Argentina
Graeme Souness ahead of Scotland v England
Rice and Anderson started together in the middle of the park for England once again against Argentina. The two players have become staple figures in Tuchel's side, with Rice fighting off injury and illness to feature as much as possible at this tournament.
Despite largely impressing in North America this summer, the double pivot weren't at their best against Lionel Scaloni's outfit, and this prompted Souness to launch an unhinged existential rant about the pair.
"(Anderson is) 22, so he's got a chance of getting better," the former Sky Sports pundit said on Sports Uncensored.
"Declan won't get any better, he's looking as good as he'll get at 27.
"I don't see enough football in the two of them. I see them as players who'll recycle the ball... but I don't see them hurting people.
"If you wanted the polar opposite to those two, the night before you see arguably the best one in the world at that, and has been for a couple of years, in Rodri. [Spain] go a goal up, and he's still getting on the front foot by his choice of pass, not running with it unnecessarily and not going square all the time.
"He's a proper midfield player. I think these two young lads - certainly in Anderson's case, young lad - are limited. Declan Rice, for me, limited. You hear people talk about Declan Rice, 'a world-class footballer' ... I think he might be a centre-half.
"There's nothing to dislike about him in terms of his attitude to the game, nothing to dislike about him in his athleticism, nothing to dislike about him in his commitment from the first minute to the last minute.
"My criticism of him is he doesn't have enough football in him. They talk about, 'look how he runs with the ball'. As a centre midfielder, you shouldn't do [it]. And the reason people run with the ball is they don't see the picture quick enough...
"You don't wanna carry the ball really well. I've got Declan Rice running with the ball, runs 20 yards, is confronted by an opposition player, the handbrakes goes on and he passes it square."
Graeme Souness' Criticism of Rice and Anderson is Harsh
Elliot Anderson Declan Rice
Against Argentina, Rice and Anderson were victims of England's negative approach after scoring. While both players may have been slightly culpable of not trying to slow the game down and control possession, there was ultimately little they could do when on the ball due to the team's general deep shape, which was a symptom of Tuchel's game plan.
Souness rarely opts for the quiet, reasoned argument, preferring to sway towards sensationalism. This criticism is certainly harsh, and feels like he's desperately trying to elicit a strong take where there doesn't need to be one.
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Rice has just won the Premier League and has been named in the PFA Team of the Year two seasons on the bounce. He's widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, yet Souness believes he's a centre-half because he struggled in difficult circumstances in a World Cup semi-final, whilst playing half-fit.
Meanwhile, Anderson has just earned a £116 million move to Manchester City after enjoying a spectacular season with Nottingham Forest. Both players regularly ranks near the top of progressive passing tables, indicating that they can both get on the ball and 'hurt' the opposition.