Ian Wright and Lee Dixon baffled by Wayne Rooney’s role as England fail to shine in ponderous first-half against Slovakia

WAYNE ROONEY has been given a free role in Sam Allardyce's England setup - and no one can really work out where he's meant to be playing.

ITV pundits Lee Dixon and Ian Wright both agreed that Rooney's deep-lying role didn't work in a painful first half in Trnava - and Harry Kane was left isolated up front as a result.

At times Rooney was England's deepest player in the centre-back position and was forced to ping 40 yard passes forward to little effect.

And Arsenal legend Dixon believes the skipper must be moved into a No10 role and get further up the pitch.

He said: "We've been duped in where Rooney was going to play and he's playing so deep. He was almost at centre back at times.

"There's no one in that No10 area where we thought he would play.

"Harry Kane wants the ball behind. Someone has to come out and spin into the holes.

"The only way is to fill that No10 areas.".

Wrighty agreed and felt sorry for Kane - but believed a lack of movement was also to blame for the slow play.

He added: "We need to get the ball into Harry Kane. It's still very slow. We had a good chance with Kane.

"We need to step it up, pass the ball into that area the Slovakians don't want it."

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