It was a team performance where nobody really impressed. Jude Bellingham got the goal and was slightly ahead of his teammates, but there was no standout and England ground their way to a much-needed Euro 2024 opening win.

But England always need a scapegoat, even in victory. Step forward Phil Foden.

The Manchester City and Premier League Player of the Year started on the left, as he most often does for City, and looked sharp in possession in the first half.

ALSO READ: Bruno Guimaraes signs, Kevin De Bruyne decision, Grealish call – Man City’s dream XI next season

ALSO READ: How Jack Grealish helped teenager told he ‘wasn’t disabled enough’ to play football

England were more fluent down the right, creating the only goal when Kyle Walker freed Bukayo Saka to cross (via a deflection) for Bellingham. The left-side was locked down, yet Foden kept his shape and mostly kept the ball. When he drifts inside for City, those opportunities weren’t there for England on Sunday night – Bellingham was at No.10 and Harry Kane was dropping deep to try and get into the contest.

Compare that to City, where Erling Haaland mostly stays up top, stretching the defence, with Kevin De Bruyne marauding around the midfield. Fans, pundits and critics all want Foden to do what he does for City, yet this is a different system completely. How many times did Jordan Pickford launch a goal kick long, only for a Serbia defender to head it back.

That is not a tactic that suits Foden – he needs the ball played in front of him.

In truth, Foden was lucky to remain on the pitch in a turgid second half. By the end of the game, it was clear he wasn’t going to be effective in attack, and England’s ball-retention was worsening as the minutes ticked by. They’d have been better saving his legs and trying something else. It was a game crying out for Jack Grealish to come on and just keep the ball, but that is another debate.

Cut to the BBC Studio post-match, and the refreshingly honest Cesc Fabregas chose Foden as the subject of his main criticism. “It’s all about the mentality,” the former Barcelona, Arsenal and Spain midfielder said. “You cannot tell me that players like Trent [Alexander-Arnold], like Foden, like Bellingham, like [Declan] Rice, they don’t have the quality to hold the ball anywhere in the pitch.

“It’s about do you want it enough to make a difference and hold the ball for your team? Do you want to make things happen? Do you enjoy to get the ball under pressure?

“You’ll never see Xavi, Iniesta, the top, top players in the last 15, 20, years, do that. You need to take this responsibility to grow. I think that the second half was a little bit underwhelming. I would say that is the right word. And I think players like Foden, they need to step up. This is the time for them to go into big tournament with their country behind them.”

On the basis of one disappointing game, the comments are harsh but fair. But to question Foden’s mentality after the season he has just had is not fair. ‘Stepping up’ is exactly how Foden won all his individual awards this season. One game for a misfiring England side against a very good defence doesn’t undo that.