I think when Rashford came on was the time that Townsend should have come on. Oh, hang on a minute....
So after 135 minutes of an awful system that featured two players who defenders ignored because they will never score, Hodgson switches to a more or less sensible front three and gets two goals. Tbf, very stupid to have ever used Lallana and Sterling forward and kept Alli back, but some credit for realizing he had to change, for changing to something much less stupid, and for giving Kane a rest when he clearly needed one.
180 minutes of football, chances created for our striker(Vardy/Kane) by an England player = 0. By Ashley Williams = 1. It's not so much about personnel, it's 100% down to the system. No shape, no plan, no threat. I think Vardy's better off starting than Kane if we're going to offer so little though. He's spent the season scoring goals in a fairly average side. 4 years Hodgson has had, it's always worth reminding ourselves that.
COME ON YOU BOYS IN GREEN! Relatives of mine going totally bonkers. Memories of being in a pub in Chelmsford 1982 with some cousins. One of whom went round the pub at the final whistle v Spain, collecting alcohol off the punters in his welly boot. When it was full he drank the bloody lot! Mayhem ensued.
Was yelling "keep it in the corner" at the screen and they go and score a second instead! Fantastic, gutsy performance. They've got a good chance now. Just need to get something off the Germans(easy!). Sidenote, I stuck a tenner on N.Ireland and Poland to win. I'm going to be very biased for the next few hours
I hope Harry Kane is on the bench and Vardy starts in the next game! Got no problem with Sturridge in starting XI. Why on earth Kane took corners vs Russia is beyond me, was better with Rooney taking them today (but not much better!). The best Spurs player for England from the first two games is Eric Dier IMO.
Norn Iron show how important it is to work together as a team - the formation, the tactics, the understanding of individual roles within the team and above all, the desire to play for each other and the shirt. You look at their players individually and none would rate better than bottom half PL material (except perhaps Steven Davis) with some only League One standard, yet they are a higher level collectively. Evans and 36 year old McAuley were great today, Norwood gave them superb delivery at set pieces and McGovern looks a handy 'keeper. They might surprise a few more teams.
If England won Group B (likely now), our last 16 opponent will be 3rd place in Group A,C or D - and that could be Norn Iron!
I must say I have been extremely impressed by Kyle Walker's performances so far. Considering the added spotlight and his tendency to panic at precisely the wrong moments, I was worried that lack of a Lamela-type midfielder to help him cover that flank, plus a bang-average CB pairing and a goalkeeper who thinks he is better than he actually is, would combine to embarrassing affect but I was totally wrong. I don't think he ever expected to start ahead of Clyne and to his credit, Kyle has seized the opportunity with both hands.
"I don't think he ever expected to start ahead of Clyne" You're on dodgy ground with me on this one. Kyle Walker has had a most outstanding season for us, and much as I do like Clyne, Walker is a class act. His athleticism, his energy levels, his sprints, are almost to Olympian levels. I am going to be irritatingly smug on Kyle Walker because I have been banging his drum on here all season. The man is a quality footballer.
