Bring on the Euros
Kane relishing shot at 2020 glory for rampant Three Lions as Southgate declares: We are better than before World Cup
Whatever the legitimate concerns for England in defence and midfield, there is one thing for certain: they score goals and plenty of them. To be relatively subdued and to strike four times away from home shows a threat to any opponent and they were utterly ruthless in front of goal as they inflicted a first home defeat for Kosovo since they were officially recognised.
In doing so, England ended 2019 as not just the top scorers in qualifying for Euro 2020, but with 38 goals in the calendar year – their second-highest tally ever and the highest since achieving the same total in 1966. And we know what happened that year.
Can Gareth Southgate’s side bring a trophy home next summer? They will certainly threaten, with second-half goals from captain Harry Kane – who became the first England player to score in every game of a qualification campaign – and substitutes Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount adding to a firsthalf strike by Harry Winks.
Thirty-seven goals in eight qualifiers also, of course, speaks to the weakness of a group where England have ended with a sequence of thumping wins. And to think there are still justifiable questions over how they will fare against stronger opposition and whether Southgate can come up with the right permutations in the centre of defence and in his midfield three.
The attacking options are awesome and although this was not a night for Callum Hudson-odoi, who was taken off, and although Raheem Sterling’s return to the team, after being dropped for attacking Joe Gomez, was understandably quiet, Southgate will have noted the impact made by Rashford when he came on with the score still 1-0.
The 22-year-old forward’s directness and pace made a difference as England rattled in three late goals and did not relent.
In fairness, having been smothered with kindness by the Kosovo nation, who wanted to show their gratitude for Britain’s role in ending the brutal struggle with Serbia, there was an edge taken from the game which had been diminished because the hosts had blown their chance of automatic qualification and must go through the play-offs.
The Kosovans held up cards with their flag on one side and the St George’s flag on the reverse during the national anthems and there was a series of tributes and thanks before kick-off. This was such a wonderfully anticipated contest for Kosovo, with 800,000 applying for the 17,000 tickets that sold out in less than 11 minutes.
There had been such a warm reception for England, with the slogan of “welcome and respect”, but it was a bit too welcoming and respectful from Kosovo in the way the opening goal was allowed.
Southgate had made five changes from last Thursday’s fixture against Montenegro, with Nick Pope afforded a debut start in goal as Jordan Pickford was stood down for the first time in more than two years, but the most significant change was moving Winks into a more advanced midfield role with Declan Rice as the “pivot”.
For a while they got in each other’s way but, when Winks began to move farther forward, it made a difference and once he did that he took the plaudits as England’s most impressive performer. It was on cue that Winks surged on to Alex Oxlade-chamberlain’s pass with a fine first touch disorientating Ibrahim Dresevic when, suddenly, the midfielder found himself clear on goal. Winks had time, had space and had his first England goal as he deceived goalkeeper Arjanet Muric with his side-foot shot.
Before that, apart from a Sterling shot, and after that the consistent threat came from Kosovo, with Southgate admitting there are still worries over England’s defending.
A greater problem was the sloppy way England conceded corners, with Valon Berisha driving a shot narrowly wide, from one, and Amir Rrahmani getting his angles wrong with a header when unmarked.
But, boy, can England counterattack. With Ben Chilwell breaking forward, Muric palmed his shot, before Sterling retrieved the ball to cut it back for Kane, whose firsttime shot cannoned back off a post. Would Kane miss out? No chance.
Again Sterling was involved as his cross was blocked, ballooning up into the air for Kane to show the mark of a top striker as he positioned himself to collect it and shoot low into the net. With that he took his total to 32 goals in 45 internationals, 12 goals in the eight qualifiers and 20 goals in 21 games for club and country this season. He is posting extraordinary numbers.
It ended any doubt over the result but, importantly, England were not done and showed the streak that Southgate likes and what marks out successful teams: they do not stop. They poured forward again, with Sterling breaking to the edge of the Kosovan penalty area before slipping a pass to Rashford, who took it first time to stroke a shot around Muric and just inside the far post. For a quiet night, Sterling ended with two assists.
On also came Fikayo Tomori to make his competitive debut for England, meaning he cannot now play for Nigeria. But it was another substitute, and his Chelsea teammate, Mason Mount, who completed the scoring with his first England goal as he collected the ball inside the area, after Kane pounced when Dresevic slipped, to beat Muric, before falling over himself on what was a difficult pitch. It could have been a difficult night, also, for England, but they scored their way out of it. “Bring on a big 2020,” Kane later tweeted. England have the firepower.