A LIN-WIN SITUATION
Jesse the unlikely hero but Three Lions need more bite to thrive in Russia
GARETH SOUTHGATE has got the full-backs sorted – now he just needs to find some more goals.
Jesse Lingard was the unlikely hero in the Amsterdam Arena with his first goal for England, but that should not mask a bigger problem for Southgate.
Rather worryingly, the Three Lions have now managed to score just three times in 450 minutes, and two of those were against Slovenia and Lithuania.
It was very comfortable against Holland, Southgate tried a few experiments – even starting with a team including SIX players who have played right-back at some point in their careers – and yet they look half a team without Harry Kane.
The simple truth is that, when striker Kane (circle) is not playing, they are toothless without their main man to finish off the nice approach play.
It was all very nice against the Dutch, pretty patterns, passing triangles, a good training exercise, but a lack of goals is the biggest worry with under three months before the World Cup kicks off.
It is difficult to be too critical but gone are the days when beating Holland away would be seen as a result to make Europe sit up and take notice. Ronald Koeman presides over a poor team and maybe that is why Southgate felt he could experiment with his formation more than the players who actually started, as almost all of them look odds-on for Russia this summer.
The most eyecatching innovation was using Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker on the right of a back three and he was terrific.
Walker’s pace is such an asset as he spotted danger before it happened and marshalled the defence like he had played in the middle all of his career.
The reality is that Walker does tuck inside more under Pep Guardiola’s City formation than his days as a rampaging right-back at Tottenham. But you wonder whether England will gain from Walker in the middle compared to what they will lose on the flank. Walker, John Stones, Joe Gomez, Kieran Trippier, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and even Jordan Henderson have all played at right-back at some time or another. We used to be good at producing goalkeepers. Now we produce full-backs. And that is the issue for England: quality and strength in depth in key areas. They are short of options in attack, which is why they rely so heavily on Kane, and suffered an early blow when Gomez hobbled off after just 10 minutes having landed awkwardly.
One door closes and another opens. Cruel moments like that can make or break World Cup dreams and Harry Maguire came on and looked good.
Mind you, it is pretty easy to look good against this Holland.
In fact, England have not looked so much better than the Dutch since the heady days of Euro 96, when we all thought football was coming home after thrashing them 4-1 at Wembley.
This lot in orange are a
million miles away from the great Holland teams of the past and, having missed out on the World Cup, Koeman has one hell of a job on his hands.
But for all of England’s superiority and nice passing, they did not create enough.
Raheem Sterling was lively and sharp, Marcus Rashford was starved of service, and Lingard did not get on the ball enough.
Keeper Jordan Pickford (left) was not entirely convincing, missing one corner and then being caught in possession. But England were always the better team and you felt a goal was coming.
They should have had a penalty after 52 minutes when Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt’s clumsy challenge brought down Rashford, but ref Jesus Gil Manzano waved play on.
However, the visitors got the breakthrough on 59 minutes. Danny Rose’s cross was only half cleared, and the ball fell to Lingard who drove home a fierce shot from 20 yards.
Keeper Jeroen Zoet should have done better but Southgate (right) is grateful for any goal right now.