England got their revenge against Greece at the Olympic Stadium in Athens earlier this week, winning 3-0 in what turned out to be a fairly comfortable outing for the Three Lions on matchday five of the UEFA Nations League. Liverpool’s Curtis Jones was one of their standout players and was lauded by his country’s press. However, the same cannot be said for his club teammate Kostas Tsimikas, who was heavily criticized by the media.
The Greek press labeled Liverpool left-back Kostas Tsimikas as the “worst player on the pitch,” according to a report published by The Mirror on Saturday. Tsimikas played 56 minutes before being substituted, with the score still at 1-0.
England took the lead through Ollie Watkins’ goal, followed by an Odysseas Vlachodimos own goal and a strike from Curtis Jones that sealed the game and crushed Greek hopes.
For Tsimikas, it was a night to forget. The 28-year-old looked unsteady and struggled both offensively and defensively, unable to cope with a determined England side led by Lee Carsley in his penultimate game before Thomas Tuchel takes over in the new year.
Greek outlet Ta Nea wrote about Tsimikas,
“Given that he plays in Liverpool and you expect something more from him, Kostas Tsimikas didn’t help much while he played and also missed the chance in the 30th minute when he had the chance to pass to [Giorgos] Masoura, who was waiting alone.”
England and Greece are tied at 12 points each in Group B2, with the race to finish first heating up. Securing the top spot is crucial, as it guarantees promotion to League A, while finishing second would force a playoff.
England host Ireland on Sunday in a must-win match that could secure their position at the top. Meanwhile, Greece will travel to Finland, needing a convincing win by a margin of more than three goals to stay ahead of England.
