The three England stars accused of under-performing for Three Lions by 78-cap legend

As England laboured to a win over Andorra on Saturday, many pondered where the creativity had gone.

Despite firing 20 shots at Andorra, ten of which were on target, England’s only goal came via Noni Madueke’s fizzed ball across goal that was turned home by Harry Kane.

England’s win over Andorra was a far from vintage performanceCredit: AFPGiven there are 169 places between England and Andorra in the FIFA world rankings, Three Lions supporters were entitled to expect far more than Kane’s solitary strike.

So, how might Thomas Tuchel extract more creativity from his side which, in theory, will lead to more goals?

Stuart Pearce, who won 78 caps for the Three Lions, believes he has cracked the code.

“I think the key for England going forward is trying to unlock the undoubted potential that some players have that haven’t probably delivered performances in a national shirt well enough,” Pearce said on talkSPORT Breakfast.

Read more England newsAs for who those players are, Pearce named the three mavericks who he desperately needs to see more from at international level.

“Cole Palmer, who’s been magnificent last season and half of this year in the Premier League, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish,” Pearce said.

“There’s three players there that probably in a national shirt have not delivered what we were all hoping from them.”

Foden and Grealish endured tricky 2024/25 campaigns at Manchester City.

In the season prior, Foden registered a mightily impressive 19 goals and eight assists from 35 Premier League appearances as City won a fourth-straight Premier League crown.

It resulted in the 25-year-old scooping up the PFA Player’s Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Year awards, two gongs not to be sniffed at.

Foden endured his lowest goalscoring season since the 2019/20 campaignCredit: GettyBut in the campaign just gone, Foden’s levels noticeably dipped as he finished with just nine goal contributions in total.

He subsequently ruled himself out of selection for the June international break and revealed off-field issues played a major part in his ‘frustrating season’.

“It’s one of them, sometimes there’s things in life that are bigger than football,” Foden said.

“This season I’ve struggled a little bit. Hopefully come next year I can get my head mentally right and get back where I left off the season before, because I know what I’m capable of doing and the quality I have.”

Aged 25, Foden still has plenty of years left and may not even have hit his peak.

As football journalist Henry Winter pointed out on talkSPORT Breakfast, Foden has plenty of miles in his legs most players his age do not.

Foden is yet to replicate his stunning club form to the Three LionsCredit: talkSPORT”Phil Foden’s just played so many games,” Winter said.

“I know your (Pearce’s) generation will probably roll their eyes a little bit and say the players have got everything going for them, but it is amazing the amount of games that Phil Foden has played.

“So he is allowed a little bit of a dip, which he’s had at Manchester City.”

To date, Foden has made 315 total appearances for City and 45 caps for England.

That means the 25-year-old is quickly approaching halfway on Gareth Barry’s Premier League appearance record of 653.

As for Grealish, it has become increasingly apparent he must seek a move away from City if he is to have any hope of making Tuchel’s squad for next summer’s World Cup.

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Signed for £100million from Aston Villa in 2021, Grealish often cut a devastated figure on the sidelines for City in the 2024/25 season.

In fact, he has just one start to his name in 2025 and was even overlooked for an Argentinian teenager to come off the bench during the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace as City searched for an equaliser since the 16th minute.

talkSPORT understands Grealish is not short of suitors, with Tottenham and Everton holding genuine interest in the 29-year-old.

At international level, Grealish hasn’t always had the impact he desired.

But, as Winter noted, he showed he can ‘play fantastically as a ten’ when former interim England boss Lee Carsley deployed him as an attacking midfielder for the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Ireland last September, a game which Grealish scored.

Palmer is the most in-form of the trio named by Pearce, but even he wasn’t immune from a dip in performance throughout the second half of the season.

Grealish’s career at City is on the rocks after just 16 starts all seasonCredit: GettyThe Chelsea star scored an impressive 14 goals and provided seven assists from the Blues’ first 24 league fixtures.

But for the remaining 14 games, he scored just once and registered two assists.

He did end the 2024/25 campaign on a high though with some superb work to swing the Conference League final in Chelsea’s favour and beat Real Betis 4-1.

Winter theorised Palmer’s drop-off in form coincided with a key tactical tweak from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.

“First half of the season, he was fantastic,” Winter said.

“He was vying for Footballer of the Year honours. Then he had that dip.

Palmer is yet to produce consistent performances at international levelCredit: Getty”Maybe it’s slightly tactical with Enzo Fernandez playing more through the middle, maybe that’s cramped his style a little bit.

“Or maybe he just needs to play in his best position which, as Chelsea fans will tell you, is drifting in off the right.”

Palmer was played through the middle against Andorra for 64 minutes as Tuchel opted for Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers as his right-winger.

Read More on talkSPORTBut the England boss may look to heed the advice of Chelsea fans and utilise Palmer in what they believe is his best position for Tuesday’s fixture against Senegal.

Who knows, it could be just the tweak needed to get one of the trio named by Pearce firing at international level.