Bale has already scored twice at Euro 2016 – trademark free-kick strikes against Slovakia and England – but he accepts Wales need to keep the ball better if he is to be an even greater threat.
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A hailstorm halted play for three minutes and a Northern Ireland fan suffered a heart attack and died before McGinn came on and slammed home a rebound to complete the win. Hart’s movement was also disappointing, the goalkeeper appearing to dive to his left too late and only managing to push the ball into the corner of the net. He was clearly at fault for the goal. He needs to improve his end product though.
Those were missed opportunities that England would come to regret as, minutes before the interval, Wales’ star man stepped up to provide a bit of magic. He provides a great weapon for England to use. We have to take care of business ourselves.
Same comments apply to Smalling. “They responded very well”.
“But we’re happy with the composure he brings, the calmness when it gets a bit frantic”.
Croatia: Need a point against Spain to guarantee second place, but must beat Vicente Del Bosque’s team to finish first.
But at other times it seemed Sturridge was playing wider and so preserving the formation Hodgson employed against Russian Federation and during the first half here, with Vardy replacing Kane and Sturridge taking over from the disappointingly ineffective Sterling. However, he still has to prove he can be a regular scorer for England in that position. Fellow Spurs teammate Eric Dier allows them the freedom to go forward by adding extra protection to the fullbacks. His team-mates know if they race upfield, then there is security behind them.
“We actually thought his performance against Russian Federation was good”. “Not only that he scored, but in all the 90 minutes he was working for the team”.
He’s an absolute certainty to start from her on in, for us.
Wales were back on the training field on Saturday morning ahead of a game in which they probably need to draw to qualify. I said that before the game.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Roy. I even spent a very pleasant afternoon with him during a Test match at the Oval a few years ago chatting about cricket, football and plenty of other things.
“I think it would be harsh to say”, Hodgson said when asked if he had arrived at this team through circumstance.
Despite dominating possession in the first half, England went into the break a goal down courtesy of another Gareth Bale free kick. That let him down as did his positioning.
After the victory, Hodgson revealed this was more or less what he’d been planning all along, to go on the front foot in the second half when perhaps Wales would be tiring.
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“We have to face him and not just be better than Rooney but better than the whole England team and then we can get success”.
