Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice shone this season, but both are currently struggling for England at Euro 2024.
England have been dire to watch as a team, with Gareth Southgate’s side drawing two of their three group-stage matches at the tournament. Whilst they did reach the knockouts as group winners, the team has been heavily criticised for their displays.
No England attacker has thrived, with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden all disappointing as their side failed to find them in attacking positions, but it was Saka who received criticism, and even Arsenal legend Ian Wright suggested a change in position for the winger.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has now criticised Rice for his performances in midfield, whilst also mocking Wright for suggesting that Saka should be moved to left-back instead of being dropped from the XI, and Arsenal fans have now slammed his bizarre comments.
Arsenal fans slam Paul Scholes for Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka comments
Arsenal fans have called out Scholes for inaccuracies in his criticism of Rice, and some have even highlighted that his comments will have done nothing but stoke club rivalry over the England squad and cause unnecessary division.
“He’d be defending the life out of Rice if he’d signed for United. Club agendas from these so called legends are ruining England as a team,” one fan stated of Scholes on X.
“That country isn’t winning anything when their own legends can’t put aside club agendas to support the team in the middle of the tournament,” another pointed out.
“What’s with everyone in the media being weird with Arsenal players? No one spoke of Rice this much before he came to Arsenal,” another fan claimed.
Some were also keen to point out how England’s other underperformers have not been criticised like Rice or Saka.
“It’s a crazy concept that players who are rated so highly often get more grace than players who are considered worse. Bellingham and Foden have objectively been worse than Rice so far in the Euros but neither of them get blamed even though they’re apparently the best in the world,” one fan questioned.
Some believe that Arsenal players in and around the England setup receive worse treatment than those who play for rivals.
“Rice becomes an Arsenal player and the old guard (who used to struggle with tribalism during their international football days) switch up on him. Same way they failed to embrace Ramsdale, Ben White and constantly dismiss Saka. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence,” one fan posted.
Criticism of individual England players is unfair given the setup
England’s squad at Euro 2024 contains some of the top scorers and assisters from the Champions League this season, the Premier League Player of the Year in Foden, and Real Madrid’s talisman in Bellingham.
Saka and Rice are two of the Premier League’s best players, yet the entire team has underperformed relative to their ability.
It is unfair from Scholes to single out Rice and Saka for criticism when there have been worse performers in the side, but given that every single top-class player is struggling, the tactical setup from the manager should be questioned more than any individual.
