Faced with a rematch from Euro 2016 against Slovakia, there was every opportunity for Allardyce and England to make a statement.
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“The most important thing was getting the three points and getting off to a good start under the new regime”.
Allardyce twirled it in his fingers as he spoke to the media afterwards and he said: “How do you know it’s a lucky coin?” I had it with me in my pocket.
“I’m not really superstitious but I’m going to keep it”. Hopefully we can get better. “I wonder how far it will take us”. For now the priority is qualifying for Russian Federation and only the group winners automatically gain a place at the tournament in 2018.
Most interestingly, the former Southampton man used the opportunity to display his versatility by operating on the left of an otherwise-staid front three rounded out by Kane and Sterling, putting in a performance to help jog Jürgen Klopp’s memory of his abilities in the final third.
Adam Lallana spoke of his double delight after scoring his first England goal to secure a last-gasp win over Slovakia.
Now, after a grand total of one strike in the last campaign, two strikes for club and country in the first month of this new season has it looking like Klopp’s faith Lallana is starting to come good. “To score that goal was a huge relief for me”.
The ESPN FC crew evaluate England’s first match under Sam Allardyce, a 1-0 win over Slovakia in World Cup Qualifying. “We dominated the game and got what we deserved”.
Late drama in Romania saw Stevan Jovetic’s 87th-minute header cancel out Adrian Popa’s goal for the hosts just two minutes previously, before Nicolae Stanciu put a penalty over the crossbar in the seventh minute of injury time.
Wayne Rooney hit a low shot straight at Kozacik as the captain became England’s most capped outfield player, surpassing the record he held with David Beckham, by making a 116th appearance.
“Everyone back home was waiting with bated breath and we scored the victor”, said Allardyce, who never featured for England as a player and has only previously managed modest domestic clubs.
“We played them in the Euros (a 0-0 draw) and they are a very well-organised team”, Dier said.
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Scotland only got going in the second half, after Alfred Effiong’s header had cancelled out Snodgrass’ opener.
