England managed to overcome Slovakia in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday thanks to a late goal from Adam Lallana.
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England struggled to shrug off familiar problems, controlling the game without looking like winning it even after Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel was dismissed for stamping on Harry Kane in the 57th minute. That is the message from former England captain David Beckham as he leapt to the defence of embattled skipper Wayne Rooney.
“Today Wayne played wherever he wanted to”, Allardyce said after his first match in charge. “He was brilliant and controlled midfield”. Midfield? “I can’t stop Wayne playing there”, the England manager said.
Put worldwide experience to the side, the former West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers boss is the England manager, and he tells players where they should play and must take players out who are harming the team in general. After the match, manager Sam Allardyce batted away questions about Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney’s position in the team.
United have won all three of their opening Premier League games under Jose Mourinho so far this season.
“Using his experience with a team, and playing as a team member, it’s not for me to say where he’s going to play”. I put pressure on myself to score goals. “We have dominated the game and got a very important win”.
However, he added: “But I think I saw a little nervous tension and it’s bound to be in the back of their mind”.
But in the fifth minute of stoppage time at Trnava’s City Arena, Lallana squeezed a shot between Slovakia goalkeeper Matus Kozacik’s legs to get England up and running in Group F. Allardyce, nicknamed “Big Sam”, succeeded Roy Hodgson after England’s humiliating Euro 2016 elimination by Iceland.
“We, as a team, have the character and the enthusiasm”. “You know you’re leading the nation forward”.
“If you want to be successful, you need to leave everything on the pitch”, he said. “But, at times, it seemed like we were back in France”.
But he said the nasty-looking incident had not left him with any ill-effects, and he is confident of being available for Tottenham’s first game after the worldwide break, which comes against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.
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“The result did us justice in the end”.
