Tough start for Big Sam
SO MUCH for the shimmering, golden dawn of Sam Allardyce. This was an alltoo-familiar pale grey England: laboured, pedestrian, lacking ideas, lacking cutting edge, lacking class. Same old confusion on the field, same old consternation on the bench.
Saved, if that is the word, by a last-kick winner that squirmed through the keeper’s legs, it was not how the new manager hoped to start a new era and his joy at the end was more out of relief than any real sense of triumph.
Indeed, the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia might have been a re-run of the Euros. There was Wayne Rooney, despite pre-match hints to the contrary, dropping too deep to make an impact; Harry Kane isolated and ponderous, slicker alternatives under-utilised or not at all. Fortunately, perhaps, Joe Hart hardly had a kick.
For all the promises to be different, the performance bore many of the hesitant hallmarks of his predecessors. It was for the most part fumbling and frustrating, and even Big Sam provided a head-in-hands moment.
At least there was little of the long ball – indeed at times the lateral passing made them look like Manchester United under Louis van Gaal. The first shot didn’t come until the 65th minute.
But it is very early doors and England are now virtually certain to be in Russia in 2018, having safely negotiated what Allardyce (pix) thought the trickiest fixture of a favourable group. Games against Scotland are never easy, but barring something apocalyptic, the Three Lions should be there.
Nor should we be too harsh on a manager who is overwhelmingly deserving of the job and will have been glad to get his baptism out of the way unscathed. But hopes of a quick fix to perennial problems proved false.
Those of us who thought England were a reasonably promising young side that had severely under-performed at the Euros because of poor management may have overestimated Allardyce’s powers.
When the new boss named essentially the same squad, it appeared he was relying on his own man-management skills to release the shackles and infuse the players with confidence and freedom to show their true worth.
Naming the side two days ahead was a welcome departure from the nervous indecision of previous regimes. Asked what was expected of his first training camp, he said: “A bit of fun. Christ, I haven’t come here to be miserable.”
But for decades, it has looked too much as if playing for England has been as miserable as watching them. Indeed, when he brought in comedians, few could resist the quip that there were 23 there already. On this evidence, it looks as if it will take more than a few jokes to turn them into serious contenders.
England players are intrinsically unfunny unless you count the tragicomedy they served up in France. For generation after generation, they have disappointed on an epic scale, traditionally sailing through easy qualifiers only to freeze on the big stage.
Big Sam is trying to alter this with his own unique blend of old-fashioned bonhomie and state-of-the-art sports science. And, intriguingly, by becoming a modern-day Jack Charlton.
Big Jack famously found Irish grandmothers among a bunch of English and Scottish players who were not quite good enough to be capped by their native countries but became stalwarts of his Republic of Ireland side.
As a post-Brexit appointee, Allardyce was seen as the quintessential Englishman who would put “the England” – whatever that is - back into the national team.
So when he attempted to recruit Franceborn Steven N’Zonzi (until he found the midfielder had played six games for France Under 21s), it was the last thing anyone expected. Indeed, it was almost an admission of defeat before a ball had been kicked.
“They do it in other sports,” he said plaintively, but this is football, the game JOE HART LITTLE TO do for the Torino loanee and, one imagines, that is exactly the sort of afternoon Manchester City’s forgotten man needed. KYLE WALKER – 6 GALLOPED England invented, and what might be OK for certain Commonwealth crossovers in rugby and cricket, where cross-border parents and two passports are common, it does not feel right for football.
Above all else, it was another example of how far England have fallen.
It is not the only area where Big Sam has failed to exude the authority we expected. It seemed sensible that he agreed with Jose Mourinho about Rooney and Marcus Rashford, playing the skipper in his club position and allowing the youngster to develop at a lower level.
But the harsh truth is that England could have done with Rashford when the stubborn Slovaks looked as if they would eke out another goalless draw even with 10 men. Or Jamie Vardy. And the Rooney question lingers on – what was surprising was Allardyce saying he can play where he wants.
Whilst eking out the last dregs of Rooney’s ability is admirable – he’s been England’s best player since Gazza after all – you can’t help but feel both club and country managers will have to admit that he’s past it sooner rather than later.
Allowing him the freedom of the park is hardly likely to prolong his career.
As one who strongly supported the appointment of Allardyce, I am glad he was spared the media mauling that would surely have come his way but for Adam Lallana’s late intervention.
It was sobering enough to see him go from grinning like a Cheshire cat in the preliminaries to looking as if he might have left the gas on, as was said of the late Bobby Robson.
It would be too much to expect another England boss like Sir Bobby, but we don’t want Big Sam to morph into another Big Jack either.
England forward Wayne Rooney (centre) is tackled by Slovakia midfielders Marek Hamsik (left) and Jan Gregus during their World Cup 2018 qualification match in Trnava, Slovakia yesterday. unable to replicate his fine club form on the international stage again – but not for a want of trying. WAYNE ROONEY – 6 SAT too deep to pose any degree of threat going forwards and often seemed too sanguine whenever he did venture into the final third. Controlled the tempo of the match. HARRY KANE – 6 CUT an isolated figure for large periods as Sterling and Lallana struggled to carve out any openings of note during a turgid affair in Trnava. ADAM LALLANA – 8 WAS a menace on the flanks in short intervals and ultimately scored a fine, if slightly fortuitous, winner to get the ball rolling on Allardyce’s new dawn as England boss. OFF THE BENCH: DANIEL STURRIDGE – 5 WAS afforded too little time to make a true impact but nonetheless wasted a chance to be the hero by making a late run for Walcott’s deep cross with moments to spare. THEO WALCOTT – 6 SPURNED a fine opportunity to open the scoring from close range after Lallana’s adventurous shot had hit the post. Woke his teammates up. DELE ALLI – 7 PROVIDED the spark England so badly lacked in the opening exchanges, ultimately leading to an unlikely winner at the end. THE INDEPENDENT