Ballack slams defensive England

Michael Ballack provided a damning verdict on England’s performance during their 1-1 draw with Euro 2012 Group D rivals France on Monday.

England mustered a resilient performance, containing their rivals and limiting them to just a handful of opportunities.

Joleon Lescott headed England into the lead, but his Manchester City team-mate Samir Nasri drew the French level with a well-placed shot past Joe Hart.

However, for large parts of the game Laurent Blanc’s side were camped in the England half but struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities.

Ballack, 35, was critical of the defensive manner in which Roy Hodgson set up his side, despite acknowledging that England achieved their goal of avoiding defeat in their Euro 2012 opener.

“I’m really disappointed with the game. England wanted the point and they got one, but is this the way to play football in the future? I’m not sure,” the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder said on ESPN.

“If you’re parking three buses in front of the goal, that’s not football.

“They’re sitting back most of the time with 10 players, it’s difficult for every team to create chances … I’m not impressed.”