LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.

Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.

But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.

The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.

Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.

But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.

Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.

Jordan Pickford: 4

Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6

Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.

John Stones: 5

Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.

Levi Colwill: 7

Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.

Rico Lewis: 6

Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.

Declan Rice: 6

Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.

Phil Foden: 4

Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. 

Cole Palmer: 6

Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. 

Bukayo Saka: 5

Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.

Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN

Played in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.

Anthony Gordon: 5

Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.

SUBS: 

Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6

Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7

Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7

Manager Lee Carsley: 4

Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again.

A version of this article was originally published on 2 May.

NFL fans in London get to see the number one overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft in action Sunday, with the Chicago Bears desperately hoping Caleb Williams can finally be the franchise quarterback they’ve always craved.

Chicago fans have been at fever pitch ever since Williams’ name was called at the draft, as not only are they starved of recent success but in their long 104-year history the team has never really had a superstar at the most important position in the sport.

Highlighting that is the fact the team is the only one in the league never to have had a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season.

Williams could be the man to change all that and the Bears have gone all-in to build a side geared up for Williams to win right away.

After an underwhelming first two games, Williams has begun to find his feet and has led the Bears to a 3-2 record which leaves them in early play-off contention in the competitive NFC North division, topped by the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings.

Last week, in a 36-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, Williams put in his best performance yet, throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 126.2.

He has five touchdowns and no interceptions in his past three games and is beginning to stamp his leadership qualities on the team

“He’s been bossy lately, telling us that we need to be on the details,” receiver DJ Moore said on Wednesday.

“That’s him being a leader.”

On Sunday, a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars presents another chance for Williams to show off his quality and make another positive step on his NFL journey.

Formula 1 can be a turbulent ride at times, but for Williams boss James Vowles the 2024 season has been extreme.

From starting the year with an overweight challenger, having no spare car early on, winning the race for Carlos Sainz‘s services, dropping Logan Sargeant and then becoming a hero in Argentina because of Franco Colapinto‘s brilliant form. It has been hard to keep up with it all.

Bouncing between these highs and lows may have left even Vowles struggling to catch his breath, but he is equally not a person who lets emotional swings get to him.

He well knows that he has been employed by Williams to help get the team back towards the front of the grid. And, while the Grove-based outfit has had some good days in the sun so far this year, he accepts there is still an awful long way to go before he can feel he is anywhere near accomplishing his mission.

“When I’m asked the question, are you happy with the first half of the season? You go ‘clearly not’,” Vowles told Motorsport.com.

“We had so much potential and performance in the car that we didn’t utilise, and that’s frustrating. But my head is that everything is just stepping stones towards the long-term goal. That’s how I see things.

Alex Albon, Williams FW46

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“Carlos is a fantastic addition, but he is just one of 1000 things that we need to do on our path towards going back towards the front.

“It’s the same as adding performance to the car and tangibly demonstrating to ourselves, not the world, that we are able to develop a car successfully against what is a very fierce field now.

“So, because I have that grounding of ’26, ’27 and just trying to get some fundamentals in place, you detach yourself from anything that you’re doing at that stage.

“It sounds odd, but it gives you the grounding you need, not to get carried away with the highs and lows of it all, because there’s plenty.”

Dropping Sargeant was ‘tough’

Perhaps the most difficult moment for Vowles came after the Dutch Grand Prix when he had to make the call to drop Sargeant.

With the American having not made the progress that had been hoped for against Alex Albon, a hefty crash with a newly updated car on Saturday morning in Zandvoort proved to be the final straw.

Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing, James Vowles, Williams Racing Team Principal

Photo by: Williams

While some individuals in the F1 paddock may revel in the opportunity of getting rid of people, Vowles admits it was not easy for him.

“I knew what came with the job when I chose to do it, but if you look up and down the grid, there’s very few team principals that ever changed their driver halfway through the year,” he said. “It is tough to do.

“But what I’m driven by is openness and honesty. Logan knew long before that point that he was at risk, and he knew what his targets were.

“I preferred to lay it down in a really raw way: ‘Here’s where you’re not performing at a level we need to, and that’s in your hands. I’ll help you as much as possible. But if we don’t get there, this is where we will make changes.’

“So as a result of that, I’m comfortable with myself, that I gave every opportunity that I could with Logan, and supported him in that opportunity at the same time.

“But my responsibility isn’t to one individual in this team, it’s to 1000 people that are here every weekend day in and day out.”

Franco Colapinto, Williams Racing

Photo by: Williams

The Colapinto impact

While dropping a driver is never nice, Vowles would probably admit that he could never have imagined Sargeant’s replacement Colapinto doing so well.

The Argentinian seemed instantly at home in F1 machinery and, after just missing out on the points in Italy, his eighth place in Baku drew massive praise from up and down the pitlane.

Vowles sees parallels to what has happened to Colapinto to his own journey through F1.

“I was a graduate 30 years ago,” said Vowles. “Someone trusted me and gave me opportunity all the way through my career, and I’m here today.

“Franco was someone I’ve known even before he joined Williams. He had no practice, jumped in the car, and did what he could with it.

“He’s bloody quick, deserved a chance, and I could see something that the rest of the world couldn’t see. He’s delivered on that, and it is a feel good factor. It really is.”

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

Vowles also thinks that the story of giving a youngster like Colapinto a chance is one that stands true for bringing the next generation of talent through at Williams.

“At my core and Williams’ core, and that is why we align so well, is investing in future generations,” added Vowles. “Franco epitomises that fundamentally.

“We’re doing the same within the factory with brilliant graduates that we’re pushing through the organisation and giving opportunity to.

“It’s rewarding because that’s really at the core of what I want. I want future generations to not push me out of my role, but challenge me to the level where I have to let go of the reins of something I have a responsibility for.”

That Schumacher remark

It is not just on track where Vowles has been in the spotlight though, because he has learned some tough lessons off it too.

Perhaps one of the biggest came at the Italian Grand Prix when Vowles found himself at the centre of a media frenzy after he made a remark about Mick Schumacher that grabbed the headlines.

Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

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Speaking about the decision to bring in rookie Colapinto rather than more experienced options like Schumacher, Vowles said: “I think we have to be straightforward about this. Mick isn’t special, he would just be good.“

The fallout of his ‘not special’ remark was quite extreme, and Vowles quickly realised his phrasing had not been great – which is why he apologised to Schumacher and his family.

Looking back at events now, Vowles admits it taught him a good lesson in being more careful in what he says.

“It’s difficult because that one for me, that’s clearly not what I meant, which is why I went and immediately apologised to him, his family and everyone around it,” he said.

“I was devastated at the time, because it showed me the power of a few words, and that I have to be far more diligent in what I’m doing and how I’m saying it.

“It was a learning lesson that I hope stays with me forever.”

EDIN TERZIC is the shock name on Manchester United’s shortlist to replace Erik ten Hag.

German Terzic took Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season before surprisingly quitting.

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He has many admirers at Old Trafford and it would he a smart but unexpected move to go for him if they sack under-fire Ten Hag.

Terzic, 41, did his coaching badges in England, where he was friends with fellow United target Graham Potter, and then worked as Slaven Bilic’s No 2 at West Ham.

He rose to the top in Germany during two spells at Dortmund before he walked away in June.

United are currently reviewing Ten Hag’s position and have looked at the likes of Potter and Gareth Southgate, while former Chelsea and ex-Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has been on their radar.

The option of promoting club legend and current coach Ruud van Nistelrooy is also a possibility.

Terzic graduated from the FA’s  coaching course alongside former United players Nicky Butt and Nemanja Vidic in 2018.

United are 14th in the Prem and Ten Hag  is clinging on to his job after club chiefs held a SEVEN-HOUR summit in London last Tuesday to  discuss his future.

The Dutchman, 54, is having a short holiday and confident he will still be in charge for Saturday’s visit of Brentford.

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But there has been no confirmation from the club yet on whether that will be the case.

Two current Prem bosses are also tipped to be in contention should the Red Devils call time on Ten Hag.

Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, who was an Old Trafford coach under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Bees’ manager Thomas Frank have caught the eye of Old Trafford chiefs.

Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim have been mentioned too.

Brandon Royval dug deep in the fifth round to outlast a gritty Tatsuro Taira.

The flyweights battled in the main event of UFC Vegas 98, and delivered a Fight of the Year contender in the process. With the fight seemingly on the line, Royval was able to deliver in the deciding round to pick up his second straight headlining win.

Two of the judges saw it for Royval, while one scored it for Taira, who drops to 16-1 as a pro.

The first round was all Royval, as the fight was mainly contested on the feet. “Raw Dawg” left Taira with damage on his face early and often. In the second round, the tides turned, as Taira landed a takedown and controlled Royval in a dominant position for most of the round.

In Rounds 3 and 4, it was almost a sequel to the first two rounds, with Royval finding success in the odd stanza, while Taira was masterful in the grappling department in the even round.

Round 5 saw Taira land a takedown after taking some big shots from his opponent, but Royval was able to get back up and then thwart the subsequent attempts from Taira to get it to the mat. The one-time title challenger nearly submitted Taira late in the round, but the horn sounded to end an instant classic.

After being announced the split decision (48-47 x2, 47-47( winner, Royval said he would be up for being the backup fighter for the UFC Edmonton main event between Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi.