Alan Shearer has laid into England’s attackers after their sub-par performance saw them held to a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their second group game at Euro 2024.

The Three Lions got off to a brilliant start thanks to Harry Kane’s opener in the 18th minute but Gareth Southgate‘s men failed to capitalise on their lead and were forced back by the Danes.

Then, 16 minutes later, Morten Hjulmand brilliantly cancelled out Kane’s goal with a superb long-range strike, leaving England deflated and on the back foot once again.

England struggled to create any meaningful chances to leave more questions than answers after two disappointing displays at the Euros.

And Newcastle legend Shearer offered his thoughts on the game after the match, claiming they lacked energy and guile – before bluntly insisting that Southgate is struggling to get the most out of England’s best stars.

Alan Shearer criticised England’s players after their 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday

It was a frustrating performance for the Three Lions, with Shearer claiming they had no energy

‘You can see players lying on their backs – they look absolutely shattered, the England players. There’s no excuse for that,’ Shearer said while working as a co-commentator for the BBC.

‘It was very poor, it wasn’t good enough, and listening to Kyle Walker‘s interview, we’ve all been there as players,’ Shearer said on BBC. ‘Yes, you do try and take the positive, and yes it is tournament football, but it’s our job and the coach’s job to dissect what’s gone wrong, and where do you start there?

‘There was no energy, no pace to the game. We didn’t run in behind until the last 10 or 15 minutes, we got caught too many times on the ball, too many sloppy passes and in truth, Denmark were the better team and deserved to win.

‘It was very poor, it wasn’t good enough. I wouldn’t say lack of effort, not trying, but there’s so much more to come from those players.’

Shearer went onto dissect England’s issues in attack, offering a solution for what Southgate should play to get the most out of his frontline.

Shearer believes Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon (middle) could be the answer to their issues

Shearer bluntly claimed that Southgate is struggling to get the most out of England’s best stars

‘When I got into my 30s and lost half a yard of pace, I needed legs around me,’ Shearer continued. ‘I needed pace around me. I could still hold the ball up and head it and had a good touch and still score goals, but the one thing I couldn’t constantly do was run in behind. So he needs players in and around him to do that.

‘That’s why I would have [Anthony] Gordon in the team. He has the energy and ability to run in behind and get up near him.

‘When [Phil] Foden is doing that, he wants to be tight and play in the No 10 role like Harry Kane does. He’s [Kane] a brilliant goalscorer and he’ll always score goals, but what he does lack is that yard and that energy. Someone else can do it alongside him!

‘That’s one of the reasons I retired from international football – because I couldn’t do it for England and for Newcastle.

‘Harry is in to his 30s. He’s never really been the quickest. He can still make really good runs, but he needs pace around him. That’s why I would have played Gordon.

‘I look at Jude [Bellingham] tonight, he couldn’t put one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t get forward.

‘I look at Foden on the left. Is he affecting the game? No, no chance.

‘I look at [Bukayo] Saka and Kane. I know he got his goal. I mentioned in commentary about running in behind, at least when [Ollie] Watkins came on the defenders were running in behind. It was really really poor and it is concerning, absolutely.

Shearer claimed Jude Bellingham (left) struggled to get forward against the Danes

‘Let’s use John Stones as an example. How many times do you see him get the ball and run into midfield or get the ball to his back and turn in the Man City team? So many times, he’s brilliant at it. How many times has he done it in the two England games? I can’t remember any.

‘How many times do you see Declan Rice get that ball and burst forward? How many times have you seen him do it in an England shirt in the last two games? None.

‘How many times do you see Foden get the ball in the middle of the park and turn? Maybe once when he had the shot and hit the post.

‘Gareth at the minute is not getting the best out of best players.’

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand also bemoaned the tactics adopted by Southgate.

Asked about the performance, Ferdinand said: ‘Lacklustre, lacked any sort of direction in my eyes, tactically well below par – we were overshadowed tactically, I thought, by the Denmark team.

Phil Foden has struggled to replicate his performances that won him player of the year

‘You have to give them that respect, they were well-drilled, tactically superior, pressed us better, pressed us together.

‘I thought England looked very average. Our best players, our most decisive players, our best players (are) at the top of the pitch and we choose to set up to defend.

‘We’ve got too good players to sit back and hope to get through a game. We need to get to the bottom of, are they being told to do this, or are the players actually just being forced to do that by the opposition?’