Roy’s ghosts can’t haunt Harry
ROY HODGSON and England have been here before – and that alone should serve as a cautionary tale for Harry Kane.
Perhaps not in a geographical sense, but an away friendly with Italy, a much- changed team carrying the nation’s hopes and, at the back of the manager’s mind, disappointment at a major tournament continuing to nag.
Swap Turin for Berne 2012 and the scene is set.
It is worth rewinding back to the trip to Switzerland, which followed two months after the quarter- fi nal penalty shoot- out defeat by the Azzurri at Euro 2012 in Kiev.
In Berne, England’s starting line- up was supposed to represent a step towards something new.
Butland; Walker, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines; Carrick, Lampard; Adam Johnson, Cleverley, Young; Carroll. A 2- 1 win was sealed when Jermain Defoe stepped off the bench. Along with Butland and Cleverley, John Ruddy, Ryan Bertrand and Jake Livermore came on to boost the number of debutants to fi ve.
But by the time the World Cup came around only three players – Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines – had established themselves and 12 of the 17 who featured in the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf did not even make the cut for Brazil.
Kane has arrived here on a wave of optimism fuelled by his debut goal after being on the pitch for just 79 seconds against Lithuania last Friday. But, as he prepares for his fi rst England start, he need only glance at Bertrand to realise there are twists and turns to come.
“I’m thinking back to that game and a lot of the players who played in that game didn’t go on,” said Hodgson. “I’d like to think that some of the players who will have a chance tomorrow have already been with us for a period of time.
“One is always hoping that when you choose players to join a squad of players who are doing reasonably well that they’ll ( a) adapt and show they belong in the training sessions.
“And ( b) when they have a chance to play in the team and put the shirt on, they do well and have a good game.”
This adds credence to Hodgson’s insistence it is the performance, more than the result, which will hold sway as England endeavour to maintain their recent momentum while mastering what will be a step up in class – even if Italian coach Antonio Conte plans to experiment as well.
The inclusion of Kane draws the focus. That it is likely he will line up alongside Theo Walcott in attack, not Wayne Rooney, adds an extra layer of intrigue to what kind of display the visitors will deliver in the Juventus Stadium.
England have made progress since their World Cup campaign and the defeat in Manaus by Italy, who were also subsequently eliminated at the group stage, as seven straight victories attest.
Hodgson confi rmed he would tweak his system from the 4- 3- 3 formation that beat Lithuania and offered enough clues that he will switch to a midfi eld diamond, in which Rooney will be at the apex and Phil Jones at the base. The deployment of Jones in that role would be interesting given it is a position that demands composure on the ball and a disciplined approach for which he is not always renowned.
He has anchored the midfi eld in a win over Spain under Fabio Capello in November 2011 but must prove himself all over again.
The use of Rooney in a different role is also a surprise, given it was only last week that Hodgson, right, said he would be in attack rather than midfi eld. And it will stifle his hopes of emulating Tommy Lawton’s record of scoring in six successive England games, a run that dates back to 1938- 39.
But it might suggest Ross Barkley replaces him at some point. For Theo Walcott, who has not started for his country since the goalless draw against Ukraine in September 2013, there is also much riding on the next 90 minutes as he seeks to re- establish himself at this level. His raw pace has the potential to unhinge Italy’s three- man defence and create space for Kane.
“Us goalkeepers, and also as a team, have watched footage of Kane and he is going to be a threat just as Rooney is going to be and all the players who will be playing,” said Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon. “I think up top they are one of the best- supplied national teams because they have a lot of strings going forward.”
Now is the time for Kane and company to prove they are able.