WORLD CUP 2022
GARETH SOUTHGATE spoke with searing honesty last week when he admitted Jadon Sancho’s form for Manchester United probably hadn’t warranted his England call-up.
The 21-year-old has endured a tough couple of months since returning from Germany and hasn’t made anything like the immediate impact he and his new club would have wanted.
No goals and no assists in nine appearances was not the return anyone was expecting from a man who scored 50 times and provided 64 assists in 137 games for Borussia Dortmund.
And certainly not from a player who had cost his new club a cool £73million.
It isn’t just the statistics which have been puzzling but the fact the swagger and cockiness Sancho usually plays with – two of the attributes that make him such a handful for defenders – have been missing as well.
Southgate, like the rest of us, has seen that and was clearly giving thought to leaving him out.
Vindicated
Instead, knowing Sancho the way he does, he decided to pick him, to keep him close and try to help build him up again.
And the display the United man gave here in Andorra last night completely vindicated that decision.
His contribution wasn’t just limited to two assists – first for Ben Chilwell’s opener and then for England’s third from Tammy Abraham – but a number of bursts down the wing, delicious crosses and tidy passes that won’t half have done him some good. Yes, it was only Andorra.
And for the sort of price tag Sancho carries he needs to be doing it against the biggest club and international teams to justify it in the coming months and years.
But sometimes players just need a start, a little bit of something to go their way, and in this gorgeous principality nestled beneath the Pyrenees peaks, Sancho gave himself a platform on which to build his season before he was replaced by Jack Grealish after 73 minutes.
Sometimes a
player just needs a little bit of something to go their way and Sancho’s display will have done him some good
Aggression
There was a spikiness to his game as well that will have pleased all who were watching at Old Trafford, and if he can channel that aggression and the frustrations of the past few weeks then he and United, and perhaps England will benefit for it.
The nutmegging of Rubio Gomez – the right-back, not the midfielder of the same name – roused the England fans during the first half and helped lift the tempo for the Three Lions as they got to grips with this plastic pitch.
Southgate had picked very much a B side for this fixture with only John Stones and Bukayo Sako, scorer of England’s second goal with a wonderful touch and finish from Phil Foden’s pinpoint pass, laying claim to being regular starters.
But those he put his faith in very much did their job, with Sancho and several others giving their manager something to think about, certainly for the clash with Hungary on Tuesday and perhaps beyond that.
James Ward-prowse was another deputising player who did well, making it four when he scored at the second attempt after his penalty had been saved.
Grealish rounded off a good night for England by firing in a low shot for his first international goal, goalkeeper Sam