England vs Portugal: Five things for Roy Hodgson to consider after final Euro 2016 warm-up match
The England manager has much to ponder as Chris Smalling's winner glosses a limp display
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Systems do matter, don't they Roy?
Roy Hodgson is a lover of a midfield diamond, a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. He adores a formation, a game plan. So it was a surprise to hear the England manager saying systems don’t matter on the eve of this match. Maybe it was Hodgson keeping his cards covered.
Against Portugal he tried a system all right, with Wayne Rooney at the tip of a midfield diamond but high up rather than in the ‘hole’ which forced Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane wide left and right respectively.
It is a waste of Vardy’s threat and nullified England. He has spent the season terrorising Premier League defences with his pace on to the ball over the top. It is an outlet that drove Leicester City to the league. But too often at Wembley, when England won the ball Vardy was wide and Rooney occupying the middle ground.
The ball over the top was not an option, Portugal’s defence sat higher and cramped the midfield leaving England less time on the ball. When through balls were threaded into the Portugal box - as James Milner did once - Rooney did not have the pace to get on the end of them.
Kane was shunted to the right too, his potential powers in front of goal diluted. To shove the Premier League’s two top goalscorers out of their natural position seemed perverse. Alan Shearer wouldn’t have stood for it. Change of system please Roy.
Does Kyle Walker get the nod?
Kyle Walker has been given the No 2 shirt, Nathaniel Clyne the No 12, which may speak volumes. But numbers aside Walker can have done his case to be Roy Hodgson’s first-choice right-back at Euro 2016 no harm against Portugal.
His surging runs down the flank caused the opposition problems all night. He drove one powerful shot just wide of the upright and delivered the first-half cross from which Rooney could have scored with his head.
Walker, who kept admirably wide all night, was hardly given a defensive grilling, especially when Fernando Santos’ side were reduced in numbers, but what he had to do he did with aplomb. His long throws could be dangerous in France too.
Has Dele Alli learned?
Dele Alli was at his languid, easy-on-the-ball, best for spells at Wembley, gliding across the turf buying himself more time than the rest. But his penchant for a punch nearly caught him out again (he was sent off against West Brom towards the end of the season and missed Tottenham’s run-in, or stagger-in as it turned out) when the wily 38-year-old fox Ricardo Carvalho tried to wind him up in the first half after the pair came together.
Alli reacted but was just restrained enough to avoid trouble. Carvalho has history, of course, with England and dismissals. The last time the teams met it was he who found himself under Rooney’s stamping boot in the World Cup quarter-final in 2006.
No one wants to see the bite taken out of Alli but England have been down the red card route in tournaments before and it ain’t pretty.
Should John Stones come in?
John Stones is a great divider of opinion. His supporters love his grace and style on the ball, his eagerness to look for a pass not a punt. His detractors see him as a liability, an accident waiting to happen. But England’s back four hardly looked rock solid without Stones against Portugal.
Three times in the first half, when Santos’s team had 11 men, diagonal balls into the box caused the defence problems as a Portuguese player stole in to get head to ball. None of the efforts threatened Joe Hart’s goal but they could have done.
If Gary Cahill - who was needlessly booked - and Chris Smalling are playing because they are more defensively sound, the pair have work to do before next Saturday. Or is it worth rolling out Stones and trying to take advantage of his ball skills?
Should Hodgson read too much into Portugal’s performance?
It was an understrength Portugal team with Cristiano Ronaldo honing that tan on a boat off Ibiza and Pepe presumably honing his theatrics. Not that either needs much work.
Other exciting talents who shone in the 3-0 defeat of Norway at the weekend - midfielders Joao Mario and Andre Gomes - were left out and Ricardo Quaresma, who will play up top with Ronaldo, was rested. Nani, once of Manchester United, was not an able deputy at Wembley. When the visitors were reduced to 10 men they, of course, sat in seeking the draw.
They do not look to be of the calibre of the team that reached the Euro final back in 2004 but Hodgson would be wise not to read too much into their Wembley efforts.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments