Thorn among Roses

> Second-string Lions a concern as Rose and Rashford stake claims to be included in the first team, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the players

GARETH SOUTHGATE made no apologies for getting the gang back together when he announced his squad for these September internationals.

There would be an early-autumn reprise of the joyous summer just gone, even if it might end in a dispiriting, backto-school September comedown.

The players who achieved England’s best finish at a World Cup in 28 years would be largely retained, despite several suffering from a lack of playing time at club level and perhaps not warranting the recall.

The King Power Stadium, pre-match, was full of that same sentimentality. A big-screen video, set to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Spread Your Love, told the story of England’s tournament with the same joy and energy of those few weeks but also a newly-added wistfulness.

The persistent chanting of the Atomic Kitten-inspired “Southgate, You’re The One” carried a similar sense of bittersweet longing. The World Cup is England’s recent past, but the past all the same. What of this team’s future?

Southgate, in fairness, added an important caveat when defending his decision to keep faith in his World Cup players.

This imperfect win over Switzerland was therefore the opportunity for several of England’s second-string – the summer’s unused and under-used – to cement their place for October’s Nations League trips to Croatia and Spain, no matter what struggles they face at club level over the next few weeks.

Marcus Rashford, England’s goalscorer, is the only bit-part player who will return to his club totally assured of his place. Despite only managing 121 minutes for Manchester United so far this campaign and being suspended for their next three domestic games, he is proving himself to be more-thanadequate back-up to Harry Kane.

Danny Rose’s place is newly under threat after the emergence of debutant Ben Chilwell, but the Tottenham Hotspur fullback’s persistence down the left flank earned him the official man-ofthe-match award and he will surely remain in Southgate’s thoughts.

Elsewhere, though, there was evidence to support the concerns about a lack of strength in depth and enough reason for the England manager to experiment when selecting his next squad. Danny Welbeck started as Rashford’s strike partner, having not been trusted in Russia, but did little to earn such trust again.

It was telling that when the raft of substitutions came on the hour mark, it was Welbeck, Loftus-Cheek and James Tarkowski – the only starter not to travel to Russia, and one who suffered an awkward opening half-hour in the centre of defence – that were replaced. Delph followed shortly after.

Jack Butland played the duration but still has cause to worry. Southgate is uneasy to pick Championship players and the Stoke City goalkeeper – the only representative from the second tier – looked equally uncomfortable at times, particularly with one early misplaced pass across the face of his own goal.

For Butland and for several others who started this game, there would always be a question mark against their continued involvement unless they produced. Not enough of them did in what was ultimately an unremarkable victory.

The nation’s love for them may still be strong, but some of these summer boys could soon be gone. – The Independent