Luke Shaw bemoans ‘soft penalty’ and vows England improvement after Hungary draw
The Three Lions remain on course to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, needing four points from their final two Group I games
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Your support makes all the difference.Luke Shaw insists England will come back better next month after a poor performance against Hungary – with the full-back bemoaning the “soft” penalty he conceded in the 1-1 draw.
The Three Lions remain on course to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, needing four points from their final two Group I games to confirm their place in Qatar.
Those two matches come next month when Albania visit Wembley on November 12 before Gareth Southgate’s side travel to face minnows San Marino three days later.
While failure to qualify is still unthinkable, it would have been all-but assured had England seen off Hungary.
The game had already been marred by clashes between a number of Hungary fans and police after a steward was racially abused.
England failed to hit recent heights on the pitch but Shaw believes reviewing the display can help make improvements next time out.
“Of course I think we still have control of the group,” he told beIN Sports. “We said that (in the dressing room), it is still in our hands and we are confident we can do it. We want to be in the biggest competition in world football and that is our main aim.
“It is one bad performance in many and we will reflect, look at it and come back next month much, much better from it.
“I think it was disappointing because of the high standards we usually set weren’t there tonight, it was a disappointing performance and we gave them far too much control and confidence of building up and playing with the ball.
“We weren’t aggressive enough to try and stop them, we weren’t are usual selves but we have to learn from this, reflect on this. We are still in control of the group so it is in our hands.”
John Stones earned England a share of the spoils after Roland Sallai had opened the scoring from the penalty spot, with Shaw having deemed to have fouled Loic Nego having caught him with a high boot.
The Manchester United left-back was not happy with the call and claimed Nego’s reaction to the challenge had fooled referee Alejandro Hernandez .
“For me, it is soft,” he said of the penalty.
“I don’t know what else I can do in that situation, I was clearly first to the ball and I cleared the ball.
“It looked like he wasn’t even going for the ball, I think he just knew my foot was a bit high so he just dived at my foot and rolled around like he had been shot.
... the tiniest bit of contact was there but I don't understand what I am supposed to do when the ball is there and I am first to it
“That is what happens with refs, they see him roll around holding his head and of course he is going to give a penalty.
“I think especially in games like this, the referee needs to maybe leave it, go to VAR and have a proper look.
“Once the penalty is given he is never going to overturn it, the tiniest bit of contact was there but I don’t understand what I am supposed to do when the ball is there and I am first to it.
“He just dived in, not for the ball but clearly to roll about and do that. He got what he wanted and it is disappointing from the ref, that is my opinion and I think he was wrong.
“But that doesn’t define the night, of course that is a little bit of it but overall we weren’t good enough.
“Sometimes silly decisions can turn the whole game completely on its head, a silly decision that could go either way.”