Jose Mourinho was disappointed with Reece James’ performance in England’s 0-0 draw with Scotland.
The 21-year-old replaced Kyle Walker at right-back for the nation’s derby, but despite being resolute in defence, he failed to leave a mark on the game in an attacking sense as he so often does in a Chelsea shirt.
It’s ultimately safe to say that he didn’t exactly make the most of his opportunity, whilst his Chelsea teammate, Billy Gilmour, dictated the flow of the game - as James predicted he could - and was awarded Player of the Match for his efforts.
His performance, as well as the performance of Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw, has been criticised by former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mourinho: “I feel the intention from Gareth [Southgate] was correct – a left-footed left-back in Luke Shaw and an offensive player [on the right side of defence] in James,” he told talkSPORT.
“The intention was that [Southgate] really wanted them to go.
“But in reality, I just remember James arriving at the edge of the box and hitting a shot from Harry Kane’s pass.”
Considering James is known for being a great dribbler and crosser of the ball, Mourinho was disappointed to see him play so defensively minded.
Although he certainly did his job in that regard, his performance lacked urgency, aggression, and creativity.
After attempting just one cross throughout the game, you can see why Mourinho was so frustrated with him.
“I didn’t see any cross, progression, or overlapping [runs] from them.
“They were fine, positionally cautious and didn’t make defensive mistakes, but they should [have given] a little bit more.”
It’ll be interesting to see if either of James or Shaw keep their place on Tuesday against the Czech Republic, as Southgate could easily be tempted to go back to a winning combination at full-back in Walker and Kieran Tripper.
