Makeshift England show lack of cohesion before Ollie Watkins saves the day against Australia
England 1-0 Australia (Watkins 57′)
WEMBLEY — A strange night, or strangers in the night? A bit of both, perhaps, at Wembley, where few appeared to learn much of significance from something approximating to a football match. Though England preserved their dignity with a win, Australia were arguably the happier, and certainly the hungrier with a performance a notch or two greater than the Three Lions in terms of energy and purpose.
The evening was understandably overshadowed by the unfolding conflict in the Levant. A minute’s silence seemed insufficient to mark the horrors and suffering inflicted on the region. That said, would flags have carried any more force or weight?
The intractable conflict between Israel and Palestine is way beyond the reach of nations far removed no matter how profound the sentiment expressed. It is enough perhaps to report that the 60-second show of empathy and concern was beautifully observed, which is not always the case in this sporting crucible.
Though Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Maddison might quibble at being cast as understudies, none are preferred starters in England’s Hollywood XI, which was benched in its entirety in favour of a Wembley chorus line. Of the starters only Grealish, Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson had more than ten caps.
That might have been considered both risk and insult against an Australian team that made it to the World Cup quarter-finals ten months ago in Qatar. Australia’s footballers are afforded none of the love and affection accorded to the nation’s cricketers or rugby players. As coach Graham Arnold bemoaned beforehand the Socceroos are barely an afterthought, forced to train at the Rugby League Oval.
The contest could never quite rise above the context or setting. A wet Friday at Wembley is no place or time for a match of nil consequence between teams from separate hemispheres, 11,000 miles apart. If we must fill gaps in the schedule, let’s take these games around the country. That might create some intimacy, relax the players a little and attract an engaged audience.
Though both teams went at it, the fixture lacked anything like the intensity required to warm a full house at Wembley. Perhaps Gareth Southgate overplayed the audition card. There was too much inhibition in the opening period, the players overly focused on impressing the gaffer instead of giving instinct its head.
The absence of familiarity didn’t help either. In that regard this was a demonstration of what might happen were you to throw your fantasy team into live action. Too little cohesion or pattern.
The first half was a bit of a trundle leavened by a smattering of goalmouth drama. Sam Johnstone made a decent save to keep out a rasping drive from Keanu Baccus. Ollie Watkins rounded the keeper but could not convert and Lewis Dunk did splendidly to divert Ryan Strain’s shot over the bar to safety.
All games need a goal, but this more than most. It came ten minutes in to the second half, and involved the fun boy three pushing for starting berths.
It’s beauty lay in the instinctive contributions of the architects. Maddison was clipped making one of his trademark turns.
The resulting free-kick was cleared to Alexander-Arnold, who looped one of those marvellous, raking passes to Grealish at the far post. Grealish controlled it instantly and whacked it towards the back stick, where Watkins slid in to make sure. Thank heavens for that.
The goal brought with it a change in personnel. Marcus Rashford, who made his debut against Australia seven years ago, was one of four introduced, replacing Grealish on the left. He scored within three minutes in 2016. It seems insane to even think that Rashford has not delivered for club and country, yet there is a troubling sense of not quite-ness about the Manchester United striker.
There have been periods when he has touched Kylian Mbappe levels of athletic grace. Yet, there have also been too many episodes of inexplicable inertia, this season at Old Trafford being the latest. Southgate loves him, of course, and Rashford enjoys the England environment.
Perhaps half an hour in the company of friends away from the negative energy swirling about United will accelerate the restorative process.
