We’re away a long time as a group of players and I need to be a good example to those players and hopefully help us be successful.
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‘I’m not prepared to accept that we didn’t play well.
Is Rooney causing muddled thinking?
A shame this, because Vardy and Kane together looked like a declaration. Kane and Vardy netted one shy of 50 goals in the Premier League between them this season, yet spent most of their time occupying the flanks. They are not wingers, never will be and Hodgson is wasting them in those roles.
His corner aside, the only other notable incident involving the 22-year-old saw Bruno Alves almost kick his head into orbit, an incident that earned the Portuguese defender a red card. The Tottenham man even found himself assigned to the taking of wide free-kicks and corners rather than getting on the end of them.
And what about Dele Alli?
Kyle Walker (7 out of 10) – England’s best player on the night, the full-back contributed defensively and attackingly.
Defender Chris Smalling popped up on 86 minutes to head home the only goal of the game at Wembley Stadium, with the visitors reduced to ten men before half time when Bruno Alves saw a straight red card. “They went to 10 men and that [struggling against depleted opponents] can happen in football”, he told ITV.
Hodgson has fine attacking players at his disposal. “It was a friendly and we had 10 men”.
Nonetheless, despite having managed to prevail in all three of their pre-tournament friendlies, England will travel to France on Monday accompanied by more doubts than certainties.
Now 30, with 110 caps and a record 52 goals to his name, he is the senior figure in the England set-up and is relishing the challenge presented by his first tournament as captain.
England take on Portugal tonight in their final preparation for Euro 2016.
It is worth placing this game in context.
However, the performance failed to light up Wembley on England’s final game and their captain has admitted they are far from their best. This was never going to be a no-holds-barred physical encounter as there was too much at risk for both sides.
Hodgson has shown ambition with his attacking selections and the inclusion of 18-year-old Manchester United prodigy Marcus Rashford in the squad but he now has to find a system that does not put square pegs into round holes, as this selection appeared to do.
England have options in the forward positions, with Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge also available and the defence looks to be picking itself, however unpalatable the selection in that area might be.
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There remains plenty of work to do behind closed doors at England’s training base in Chantilly after they arrive in France.
