We won, so it’ll stay with me.
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“I’m not really superstitious but I’m going to keep it. We dominated the game and got what we deserved”. “I wonder how far it will take us?”
Armenia, who have never qualified for the World Cup as an independent nation, managed just one shot on target and Denmark, who themselves missed out on Brazil on 2014, held out comfortably.
Allardyce had promised Rooney would be playing more advanced than in the Euros but he only had four touches in the attacking third in the first half – three of those were taking corners.
For the large part England’s performance showcased the hallmarks of their failed European Championship campaign, possession without penetration, as they struggled to break Slovakia’s resistance even after defender Martin Skrtel had been shown a red card.
There was yet still nothing doing for England until Lallana popped up in the 95th-minute with a left-footed strike beneath the legs of Slovakia goalkeeper Matus Kozacik with the last kick of the game.
Adam Lallana: “I knew it was only a matter of time”.
Which leads us to ask, if Allardyce doesn’t think that telling his selected players where to play is within the England manager’s remit, then what exactly does he think the job entails?
Slovakia’s Tomas Hubocan, back, challenges for a ball against England’s Raheem Sterling duri …
It also meant that captain Wayne Rooney finished as a victor on a night when he won his 116th cap to become England’s most-capped outfield player.
Just how protected that status is was made clear after the match, when Allardyce bristled at questions over his captain’s positioning and told ITV that Rooney could effectively play where he wants on the pitch, and that he couldn’t stop him drifting deep if he wanted. We stuck to our plan, kept our shape and tried to penetrate them in the right areas.
The win secured the three points to leave England as the early pace-setters in Group F, with group rivals Lithuania and Slovenia playing out a 2-2 draw.
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Snodgrass tapped in for his hat-trick after a Fletcher shot had struck the crossbar, and Malta finished with nine men after Luke Gambin was sent off for a hack at Snodgrass. Two quick goals in the second half from Sergei Khizhnichenko ensured Kazakhstan opened qualifying with a point.
