Jesse Lingard’s first goal for England earned Gareth Southgate’s side a deserved 1-0 win over the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday.
The Manchester United man’s second-half strike was the difference in the Dutch capital.
From Gareth Southgate’s experimental line-up to the battle for the goalkeeping jersey, we pick out the talking points from England’s victory…
Lingard gives England some much-needed cutting edge
Previously a scorer of big goals rather than a big goal scorer, Jesse Lingard has been finding the net with increased frequency this season and impressively kept his composure to hit the match winner for England on Friday night – his first international goal.
When Danny Rose’s cross broke to him on the edge of the box, there was still a lot to do, with plenty of bodies between Lingard and the goal. But the Manchester United forward – who has 13 goals for his club this season – steered a smart, low shot past Jeroen Zoet.
England needed that bit of class in the final third. While Southgate’s side could take heart from November’s goalless draws against Germany and Brazil, with narrow wins over Slovenia (1-0, via a last-minute Harry Kane goal) and Lithuania (1-0, via a Kane penalty) preceding those fixtures, it is fair to argue England’s attacking play has been far from thrilling.
With Kane again absent through injury, as he was in November, England dominated for long periods of the first half against a poor Dutch side without creating genuine clear-cut openings. The second half was going a similar way until Lingard’s intervention.
Southgate will have to find a way to generate some more attacking verve – and penetration – come the World Cup.
Southgate’s experiments pay off
The England manager caused a stir before kick-off with his team selection, naming a line-up which left many wondering just how the visitors would line up in Amsterdam. There were no fewer than five potential full-backs in the starting XI, including two out-and-out right backs.
Kyle Walker was the curveball. The flying full-back, who has had an impressive season for Premier League runaway leaders Manchester City, was placed on the right side of a three-man defence, alongside John Stones and Joe Gomez, who has often played right-back for Liverpool this season.
Kieran Trippier took up Walker’s regular right wing-back slot, with Danny Rose on the other side, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – who was used in those deep, wide positions by Arsene Wenger earlier this season before swapping Arsenal for Liverpool – partnered his Anfield club-mate Jordan Henderson in central midfield.
Ahead of them, Lingard played off frontmen Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling to complete a 3-5-2 set-up – a variation on Southgate’s previously preferred 3-4-3.
While an injury inside 10 minutes to Gomez disrupted Southgate’s plans, England were well organised and not inhibited by the role changes. Walker – albeit rarely tested by a blunt Netherlands attack – dealt with his defensive duties without fuss, offered occasional bursts forwards and regularly looked to hit crossfield passes to set Rose away.
Henderson and Oxlade-Chamberlain kept England ticking in the centre of the park, while their pace out wide and in attack stretched a sluggish Dutch defence – although the visitors often missed the end product. Food for thought
Kane’s deputy: Rashford or Vardy?
Who will Southgate turn to if star striker Kane is unavailable in Russia? On Friday night, he gave Rashford the nod ahead of Jamie Vardy as England’s No 9 and the Manchester United man should have been rewarded for an industrious performance with a penalty.
Rashford’s pace was a problem throughout and running onto a through ball, he was clearly tumbled in the box by Netherlands centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. But with VAR not in use, England’s appeals were waved away.
Vardy, who has 14 Premier League goals this season, replaced Rashford on 68 minutes and remarkably failed to touch the ball once as the home side stepped up their pursuit for an equaliser.
The Leicester striker started both November friendlies and is likely to get his chance from the start on Tuesday against Italy, where he’ll hope to make his mark.
England’s number one?
Has there been a shift in Southgate’s goalkeeper plans? It looks that way, after Jordan Pickford was handed a start ahead of qualifying phase number one, Joe Hart. The 24-year-old didn’t look out of place either.
Pickford has been used to far busier games with Everton this season, but was quick off his line to dive at the feet of Quincy Promes midway through the first half and was generally comfortable with the ball at his feet – even when John Stones fed him a pass in his own six-yard box under pressure from a Dutch attacker.
With Hart’s Premier League form under scrutiny, Jack Butland returning from injury at struggling Stoke and Nick Pope a new name in the squad, Pickford now appears to be in pole position for the goalkeeping spot.
Problems for Netherlands
This was England’s first win in Amsterdam since 1969. It was also their first victory over the Netherlands anywhere since Euro 96 – but this was hardly vintage Dutch opposition.
Having failed to qualify for the past two major tournaments, the Netherlands have seen their stars of the recent past retire, and a shallow pool of top talent left in their place.
Ronald Koeman, taking charge of his first game as national team boss, will have seen the scale of his task with this uninspiring performance from the home side. England were able to control much of the contest and it wasn’t until a late rally from the Netherlands that the hosts caused any real problems.
Koeman is keen on a 3-4-3 set-up new to his players and until they get a grasp on that, their struggles could go on for a while yet.
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