While we often bemoan international friendlies, they can have a decisive impact on England careers – especially in a World Cup year.
Indeed, while its given many the vital chance to prove themselves on the international stage in the buildup to a major tournament, an underwhelming performance or unfortunate absence through injury could have the opposite effect, dismissing them from the manager’s plans.
Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions side impressed in both of their friendlies during this international break, beating the Netherlands 1-0 at the Amsterdam Arena before drawing 1-1 with Italy at Wembley in a match they probably should have won – only to be hindered by a controversial refereeing decision.
So, who triumphed and toiled in the England jersey? Who has boosted their World Cup chances, and who should be looking to book a holiday elsewhere in the summer? Here’s a look at England’s winners and losers from the international break…
Loser – Dele Alli
He’s still one of England’s most talented players on paper but it’s been a long time since Dele Alli truly influenced a Three Lions game and that clearly hasn’t gone unnoticed by Southgate, issuing the 23-cap Tottenham midfielder just 23 minutes from the bench against the Netherlands and then leaving him out completely during the 1-1 draw with Italy.
Alli was believed to be carrying a knock but the real concern is the number of midfielders and forwards who impressed in his absence, none more so than Jesse Lingard who played a hand in both England goals. Also amid his least consistent Premier League season to date, Southgate will feel more than justified if he leaves Alli out of England’s World Cup starting XI.
Winner – Harry Maguire
It feels as if Harry Maguire has significantly grown with practically every England performance, a pattern of development that has run alongside his impressive debut season with Leicester City, and especially after being Southgate’s first choice to replace Joe Gomez now seems a shoe-in for the left slot in the back three at the World Cup.
His ability to play out of the back is perfect for that system and epitomises how Southgate has helped change the identity of this Three Lions side, while the 25-year-old’s impressive threat from corners could make him an England hero at the tournament in Russia.
Loser – Joe Hart
While Jordan Pickford will feel he did slightly more than Jack Butland in their auditions to be England’s World Cup No.1, making more saves and showing more ambition when playing out of the back, the real headline from the Three Lions’ goalkeeping contingent was how Joe Hart didn’t pick up any minutes in either game.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Southgate’s given up on the West Ham loanee entirely, but it does suggest he’s got plenty of catching up to do before the summer with two younger alternatives ahead of him in the pecking order. The problem for the 30-year-old though, is that he’s not even a guaranteed starter for the Irons at the minute.
Winner – Jesse Lingard
Directly involved in both Three Lions goals during the international break, Jesse Lingard is starting to show why Southgate has always been so keen on the Manchester United midfielder despite him being something of a late bloomer.
Although Lingard has often divided opinion in terms of quality, he’s always had a knack of influencing big games for the Red Devils and he’s now doing the same for England as well.
And the simple fact of the matter is that England need match-winners at the World Cup; Lingard is proving himself to be one of those with increasing consistency for both club and country. Likewise, his ability to perform a dual role, bursting forward from midfield to become part of the attack, fits perfectly into the new identity of this incredibly mobile Three Lions side.
Loser – VAR
The decision to give a penalty for James Tarkowski’s challenge via the hindsight of VAR has created a dangerous precedent that could well take the gloss off the summer’s World Cup.
It’s been used in England largely under the proviso of ‘clear and obvious’ errors, but that’s not an official part of UEFA’s rules on VAR and Tarkowski’s attempted tackle certainly didn’t fall into that remit – it was a little clumsy, but hardly a stonewall penalty.
And that begs the question of how active VAR will be in Russia. If the same mindset is taken, the whole competition could be dominated by controversial spot kicks given in retrospect. That isn’t what gave VAR its mandate across the footballing world, and highlights the dangerous path video technology may inadvertently take the game down.
Winner – Kyle Walker
Deemed a £50million defensive liability when Manchester City signed him in the summer, yet now proving a formidable force as a right-sided centre-back for England.
Indeed, Kyle Walker may not have flourished in that role this time last year, but the confidence gained from being part of Pep Guardiola’s (almost) title-clinching side has elevated the Tottenham man’s form and really shone during his two outings for England.
In addition to looking solid at the back, Walker’s diagonal balls forward were a key feature for the Three Lions against Italy and the Netherlands. He now looks like the missing piece of the jigsaw in an exciting and ambitious England defence alongside John Stones and Maguire.
Winner – Gareth Southgate
Southgate certainly didn’t convince everybody when he first replaced Sam Allardyce on a temporary basis but the former Boro gaffer’s influence on this England side is becoming increasingly clearer.
Adopting a back three, ensuring pace throughout the team and using attacking players who can transition between two or three different roles, this Three Lions side suddenly has an incredibly modern, mobile and sophisticated feel to it – contrasting greatly with its many traditional and monolithic predecessors.
The overall quality of the team is still a little short compared to the world’s best, but Southgate appears to have found a style of play that really works on the international stage and keeps the fans interested – not too many England gaffers have been able to say that in recent years.
Loser – Jack Wilshere
These friendlies were a crucial chance for Jack Wilshere to prove he’s still England’s most important midfielder, offering the vital creativity and technical quality many in the Three Lions engine room worryingly lack.
But the Arsenal ace typically suffered an injury in training and failed to take part in either game – a slice of bad luck made all the more detrimental by how solid England’s midfield looked in his absence.
Lingard and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both showed inventiveness going forward but also provided the dynamism Wilshere naturally lacks, while Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson put in sturdy shifts behind them. Suddenly, it’s hard to see quite where Wilshere would fit into the 3-5-2 system used against the Netherlands and Italy.
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