“We looked good, we had composure throughout the game and it would have been better to play against 11”.
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“It reminds me of the clamour for me not to pick Alan Shearer ahead of Euro 96”, continued Venables.
“Last time I was on a bike, you put your foot on the pedals and off you go”.
Arguing about whether Rooney should start is an absorbing pastime but ultimately pointless because Rooney will, barring injury, start against Russian Federation next Saturday. That’s always going to be hard because it depends on the night. After all, it was Venables who ignored the claims of a player who had just scored 36 goals for his club.
In fact, he went as far as to say that the squad he will lead into the European Championships next week is arguably the best he has been part of since he made his England debut 13 years ago as a 17-year-old. The goal helped England to a 100% record in their three Euro 2016 warm-up games after previous wins over Turkey and Australia.
“We need to prepare well for that, but the lads are buzzing and can’t wait for it”. “I’ve gone in with my head and he’s gone with his foot, so he’s caught me”. It is often cited as a golden age for English strikers and yet only Shearer, Sheringham and later Michael Owen emerged from the decade with any real credit for their national side. But more along the lines of falling over too easily on soft fouls and the occasional off-the-ball incidents to wind players up. I got away with one there, I think, and I’m happy I’m still here.
There was no change in personnel for England at the interval and no subsequent upturn in their creative play – Eric Dier’s dipping long-range effort offering Patricio a rare workout as the reduced numbers in front of him remained relatively untroubled. And ask Owen about playing with the much-maligned Emile Heskey; there is a reason he has 62 caps.
The most frustrating aspect of Hodgson’s current quandaries is that England are clearly blessed with an abundance of attacking talent, and no matter who starts, somebody similarly gifted will be waiting on the bench.
All eyes were on the United captain and the two top scorers in the Premier League Kane and Vardy, but the trio flattered to deceive and Hodgson will be left with a headache over whether to unleash the trio in England’s opening match. Both are at the fledgling stage of their worldwide careers (Kane has just 12 caps to Vardy’s eight) and neither, either or both could ultimately underwhelm at global level. There is a place for Rooney in this side, but it’s not in the position he’s in at the moment.
I’m thinking as the formation was so clearly a problem, Roy won’t stick to it against Russian Federation.
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England depart for Euro 2016 with three successive victories in the warm-up games but they were all secured by one-goal margins, slender successes Hodgson didn’t mind because they dampen expectations surrounding this emerging squad.
