WEMBLEY — NEXT STOP: EURO 2024!
The message lingered on the giant screens at either end of Wembley after the final whistle had blown on England’s gruelling defeat to Iceland in the final warm-up game before they begin their assault on Euro 2024. It had clearly been pre-planned, and failed to read the room spectacularly.
There has been so much fervour about England being potential tournament favourites, about Jude Bellingham excelling for Real Madrid, Harry Kane smashing in goals for Bayern Munich, of Phil Foden lighting up the Premier League at Manchester City, of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka’s roles in Arsenal’s valiant title challenge, and the emergence of young Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United to solve England’s central midfield problems.
It all feels now as though it has been a devilish misdirection: everyone staring at the shiny attack and all its moving parts and failing to see properly a creaking, decaying defence that could well cost England in a knockout game.
Everyone had been lamenting the blow that Harry Maguire was unable to make the squad due to injury and how England had lost one of their strongest defenders. It is true: Maguire was a clear starter if fit.
But this is also a player who for a long period was merciless booed by his own supporters, was unable to break into Manchester United’s defence, was cheered by Scotland fans when he was introduced and every time he touched the ball during a game at Hampden Park last year (obviously, he scored an own goal).
At least we have John Stones, right. Right? The Manchester City defender twisted his right ankle badly in a collision in the first few minutes on Friday evening and there were breaths held around Wembley while he lay on the turf clutching it. Stones eventually got to his feet but was substituted at half-time.
Gareth Southgate described taking Luke Shaw in his squad as “a risk”, the Manchester United defender the only recognised left-back unable to play in the first game against Serbia. So he is left playing a 33-year-old right-back at left-back, and while Kieran Trippier is a seasoned veteran, it hardly fills you with confidence.
Even Kyle Walker, who appears not to be ageing, is actually ageing, and is 34. He has maintained exceptional form for City, but is there a lapse in concentration lurking in there somewhere? Is a muscle waiting to pull?
England had by far more of the ball against Iceland — but it’s hard to argue that the visitors didn’t have the clearer chances and should’ve won by more. This is Iceland, who failed to qualify for Euro 2024 and in recent months have lost to Luxembourg, Slovakia, Portugal and Ukraine.
The goal, conceded in only the 11th minute, was bad enough: with Iceland advancing from half-way there seemed to be some confusion about who should be marking which player, Stones tracked Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson but didn’t get anywhere near close enough to block the shot. Marc Guehi dropped too deep. Walker and Foden failed to press and stick to opponents effectively. Aaron Ramsdale, England’s back-up goalkeeper who has barely played for Arsenal this season, was beaten too easily at his near post.
And some troubling statistics are beginning to take shape.
It was the third consecutive game England had conceded the first goal at Wembley — the first time they have done so in 70 years. They have kept only three clean sheets in 10 games — against Australia, Malta and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They have won only once in five games, losing to Brazil and Iceland, drawing with Belgium and North Macedonia, the win coming against Bosnia and Herzogovina.
In a game in which you expected Iceland to exhaust themselves having so little of the ball — they had 32 per cent possession — and defending so deep and with such concentration and organisation, allowing England to crack them open in the second half and end the game with two, maybe three goals, Iceland actually got better.
Ezri Konsa came on for Stones and the Aston Villa defender played Iceland onside during a breakaway, leaving the England defence two vs one and incredibly lucky that their opponents fluffed the chance. You will not see Kylian Mbappe missing in similar circumstances.
Even that was not enough to set heads straight and minds right: five minutes later Sverrir Ingason found himself completely free at the back post from a corner, leaving Guehi scrambling across trying — and failing — to reach him. England would’ve conceded had he not headed straight at Ramsdale from close.
When Guehi took a savage blow to the back of the head from the ball blocking a shot in the second half and required lengthy treatment before he was able to continue, you wondered if England would have any centre-backs left by the end of 90 minutes.
The next stop is Euro 2024 — let’s hope the train is not about to hurtle off the tracks.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/kTtLidm
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