Keane: Eze has had 'too many sloppy moments' for England

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Eberechi Eze has come under scrutiny from Roy Keane during the current international break, with the Irishman questioning the Arsenal forward's work rate and application during England's Nations League fixtures.

Eze, 28, has featured sporadically for Thomas Tuchel's side this break, coming off the bench in away games against Czechia and Croatia before being handed a start in the reverse fixture against Czechia. Notably, he did not feature at all in England's opening Nations League match at home to Spain. Those minutes with the Three Lions have added up to roughly the same amount of game time Eze has had for Arsenal across the Premier League and Champions League so far this season.

Keane's criticism

Speaking on ITV, Keane did not hold back when assessing Eze's showing against Croatia. "I was disappointed with [Eze] the other night when he came on [against Croatia]," he said. "Obviously, England are attacking and doing really well, so when you get opportunities, you've got to take them. I thought he was really sloppy with some of his play, so it's a big opportunity for him tonight [the match against Czechia]."

The former Manchester United captain framed the Czechia match as a defining moment for the Arsenal man. "It's a big test for him tonight," Keane said. "We know how good he is at coming and getting the ball. But we didn't see that running power off the ball [against Croatia]. I'm not sure whether he really wants to do it or is unaware he's not doing it, but I think it's a big night for him."

Keane extended his point beyond just the one performance, suggesting a pattern in Eze's game. "When you look at the attacking players and the challenges, and I'm including Arsenal, sometimes in his play he can just be a bit sloppy. He needs to bring his A-game," he added, before turning his focus to broader questions of mentality among squad players. "I just worry sometimes players are going: 'Oh, it's not my time, or he's better than me'... Embrace the challenge that the other players have brought to the England squad and at Arsenal. He seems just to shy away from it, embrace that and bring your A-game. As I said, I've watched him far too many times, and there are just too many sloppy moments."

Wright's defence

Keane's fellow ITV pundit Ian Wright offered a more sympathetic take, suggesting Eze's style of play can create a misleading impression. "[Eze's] got a playing style where if you're sloppy and you're playing with that languid kind of style, then it can look worse than it is," Wright said, according to football.london. "I'm not saying he should change his style. But he just needs to tighten everything up a bit because he's an amazing player."

The competition for places in both the England and Arsenal attack remains fierce, with Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers all in contention for wide forward roles. How Eze responds to this scrutiny could shape his involvement for both club and country in the weeks ahead.