Sterling’s winner masked a shoddy, lacklustre show
Moxley
HOW lovely it would be to report that England had started where they left off.
How gratifying to write that goals rained down in Reykjavik as they had done throughout the European Championship qualifying campaign.
How wonderful to relay the news that the attacking talent at Gareth Southgate’s disposal was firing on all cylinders.
Yes, it would be nice, that.
Sadly, exactly the opposite took place against England’s nemesis.
Instead of a bright new dawn there was a dollop of more of the same against the country’s conquerors at Euro 16.
In the end, it took a last-minute penalty from Raheem Sterling – awarded in hugely fortunate circumstances – to register victory that was hardly warranted.
But, true to form on the night, they couldn’t even see that out.
Iceland went up the other end of the pitch and won a spot-kick themselves only for Birkir Bjarnason to spare yet more of England’s blushes and blaze over from 12 yards.
Masked
Sterling’s winner masked a shoddy, lacklustre show – lacking in ideas, fluidity and urgency – which left Southgate’s men looking all at sea.
Of course, in the 10 months since the Three Lions last trod onto the turf plenty has changed – and it was blindingly obvious last night.
Maybe it was the lack of supporters.
Maybe it was the lengthy lay-off from international duty. Maybe the players aren’t yet into the swing of things. There could be merit in all of that. But they are excuses.
In terms of transfer value, past achievements, goals scored and potential, there has never been more of an attacking threat enjoyed by any Three Lions boss.
Any bar-room philosopher could write the surnames, ‘Kane’ ‘Sterling’ and ‘Sancho’ on a team-sheet – and reasonably expect them to come up trumps.
When those three are joined by the promptings of starlet Phil Foden, then the very least that should be expected is that the opposition goalkeeper is one of the busiest men on the field.
There should be tempo. There
should be risks taken. There should be shots on goal, at least.
But against massed lines of blue shirts England’s promise disappeared into the sun which beat down in the
Icelandic capital.
Surprise
It couldn’t have come as a surprise, surely, to see the hosts pack their defence and frustrate the visitors.
It was a tactic they used to such devastating effect in France. It did the job back then.
And they repeated it without too much fuss. It was a shame for Foden, in particular, that he was not backed up by his colleagues after making his full debut.
If you carry a nickname such as ‘ the Stockport Iniesta’ then big t hings are expected.
And t he 20-year-old tried to lift proceedings. He passed forwards, he ran forward, he probed.
“We are not going to ask him to do anything he doesn’t do for his club,” said Southgate before kick-off.
The problem for Foden is that while he did exactly what he normally does for Manchester City – no-one else bothered.
Sterling’s show was passable. Jadon Sancho’s wasn’t.
Amount
Given the amount of money being discussed for the playmaker, Manchester United will be minded to keep their hands firmly in their pockets.
Nine-figure transfer fees are supposed to guarantee a return. They didn’t even guarantee a return pass last night.
Not that the strikers should
COLD COMFORT
No masking the disappointment for England boss Gareth Southgate after England’s unimpressive win in Iceland shoulder all the blame. Kyle Walker – surprisingly given the nod over Trent AlexanderArnold – was sent off 20 minutes from time for his second bookable offence of the evening.
There should be tempo. There should be risks taken. There should be shots on goal, at least. But the promise disappeared
It was as if it was all too much trouble for him. He wandered off the field with almost a shrug.
After Sterling scored, Joe Gomez’s challenge that spawned Iceland’s penalty was clumsy – and that’s putting it kindly.
The points would have been welcome. The performance was less than so.
Yes, it’s been a long 10 months without international football...
WORK ETHIC: Phil Foden tried to create options for
England
IT wasn’t Nice. In fact, it was downright ugly.
Even the 90th-minute Raheem Sterling penalty that ensured Gareth Southgate avoided the ignominy that befell Roy Hodgson when England last came up against Iceland on the French Riviera was as scruffy as it was lucky.
Sterling converted from the spot – just – after Sverrir Ingi Ingason had been harshly adjudged to have handled his close-range blast.
To add insult to injury, Ingason was also sent off for a second yellow card. But even then there was an opportunity for Erik Hamren’s journeymen to inflict some pain on the Three Lions.
Serbian referee Srdjan Jovanovic decided he would make a name for himself again in injury- time by pointing to the spot again when Joe Gomez tangled with substitute Samuel Fridjonsson.
Birkir Bjarnason’s strike was certainly cleaner that Sterling’s – but it was also much too high.
And so England escaped from Reykjavik with a victory from their opening Nations League game.
In a group that also includes Belgium and Denmark anything else would have been a problem.
Tuesday night’s trip to Copenhagen already looks like a huge problem. Southgate will be
England escaped from Reykjavik with a win, and this wasn’t even against Iceland. It was against Iceland reserves
delighted that his men prevailed despite a poor performance.
When Kyle Walker was sent off with 20 minutes of his international return still remaining the England boss might have actually feared that the Thunder Clap was going to strike again.
Southgate’s team contained only two players aged over 27 – Walker and fellow full- back Kieran Trippier.
Manchester City tyro Phil Foden was handed his debut alongside the likes of Jadon Sancho and James Ward-prowse.
But, apart from a Harry Kane strike that was i ncorrectly disallowed, the Three Lions were toothless.
This wasn’t even Iceland. It was Iceland reserves.
They still had four players who had featured in their nation’s most famous win four years ago.
And they also had the benefit of VAR not being available in the quaint stadium in Laugardalsvollur.
Kane was onside when he slid in at the far post to nudge home Sterling’s sixth-minute cross.
But the England skipper was denied a 33rd goal for his country by an offside flag that should embarrass the Serbian official who raised it. Kane had seen an earlier
snapshot saved by Hannes Thor Halldorsson and Walker’s rocket drive was deflected into the side-netting.
But after Declan Rice miskicked when presented with the best chance of the half by Sancho, the visitors lost their way. Every twist and turn was tracked by an
Icelander. Icelander Keeper Jordan ordan Pickford would have been well advised to have packed some suncream such was his inactivity.
It didn’t improve after the break. England pressed, Iceland repelled.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, the winger of Millwall fame, sent a header close enough to his own goal to have caused his heart to flutter when Ward- Prowse sent in a free-kick.
Southgate took 68 minutes to make a change.
Kane was lucky to stay on. Instead, Foden made away and Danny Ings was asked to rescue the cause five years after making his h only other England appearance. Then Walker’s lung at Arnor Traustason brought him a second yellow card and England were down to 10 men with 20 minutes still to play.
Threat
Southgate sent on Trent Alexander-arnold for Sancho, who had arguably been England’s biggest threat.
Make that their only threat. Kane made way for Mason Greenwood with 12 minutes remaining.
And when Sterling’s goal-bound blast struck Ingason on his elbow, it was left to the Manchester City winger to step up in his captain’s absence.