EURO friendly report card: England
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Article summary
The euphoria generated by England's 3-2 victory over Germany was dampened by a 2-1 home loss to the Netherlands that threw up plenty of questions for Roy Hodgson.
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Results
Saturday: Germany 2-3 England (Kroos 43, Gomez 57; Kane 61, Vardy 74, Dier 90+1)
Butland (Forster 45+1); Clyne, Smalling, Cahill, Rose; Dier, Henderson; Welbeck (Vardy 71), Alli, Lallana (Barkley 71); Kane.
England, who gave Danny Rose a senior debut at left-back, lost Jack Butland to an ankle injury before half-time. Harry Kane pulled one back with a fine Cruyff-style turn and shot, while Jamie Vardy was then brought on and within three minutes equalised with a clever flick from Nathaniel Clyne's cross. In added time Eric Dier also opened his England account with a header from Jordan Henderson's corner.
Tuesday: England 1-2 Netherlands (Vardy 41; Janssen 50p, Narsingh 77)
Forster; Walker, Stones, Smalling (Jagielka 70), Rose (Clyne 58); Milner (Alli 82), Drinkwater (Dier 85), Barkley, Lallana (Kane 70); Sturridge (Walcott 58), Vardy.
As planned, England manager Roy Hodgson made eight changes from the XI that began the win in Germany, Danny Drinkwater getting a debut and Daniel Sturridge returning after 18 months out of the team. Substitute Luciano Narsingh ensured England lost for only the second time in 18 matches since the FIFA World Cup, their first home defeat since November 2013.
What we learned
1) Livewire presence Jamie Vardy looks at home on the international stage – whether as a starter or an impact substitute.
2) Vardy's Leicester club-mate Danny Drinkwater, making his debut, gave a dilligent, disciplined showing against the Dutch as the holding player at the base of Hodgson's midfield diamond.
3) Dele Alli – on target against France in November – strengthened his case for a starting berth with another vivacious display, this time away to Germany. The midfielder, 19, was playing third-tier football at this stage last season.
Questions remain
• How does Roy Hodgson fit captain Wayne Rooney, nearing a return from injury, into the same side as the two top scorers in the Premier League, Harry Kane and Vardy?
• England gained plenty of plaudits for the way they pressed high up the field against Germany, but will Hodgson's charges be as daring in the heat of a final tournament, particularly if they get off to a disappointing start?
• What is England's best back four? The full-back positions are far from nailed down, while who partners Chris Smalling in the heart of the defence is far from certain. Will it be Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka or John Stones?
Room for improvement
England conceded one more goal in the above two friendlies, albeit against better opposition, than they did in ten perfect UEFA EURO 2016 qualifiers. The defence looked far from secure in either match, with Cahill losing Mario Gomez for Germany's second and last man Stones hesitating and then slipping in the build-up to the Oranje earning a penalty.
EURO certainties (if fit)
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton)
Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Media view
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent, The Telegraph
"It is just like England that, having made such a bold, clear statement in beating the world champions Germany in their own backyard, they then fall to a Dutch double."