Harry Kane’s ankle injury has exposed an England weakness, with only three forwards in the squad for the games against Germany and LithuaniaWhen England beat Germany in Berlin last March, talk of the emergence of a generation of strikers who could carry them to glory at Euro 2016 did not feel entirely outlandish. Danny Welbeck caused problems with his pace and movement, Harry Kane pulled off a Cruyff turn before his goal and Jamie Vardy scored with a brilliant flick four minutes after coming off the bench. Roy Hodgson had an embarrassment of riches up front. Wayne Rooney was still to return from injury, Daniel Sturridge was fit at last and Marcus Rashford was shooting to prominence at Manchester United.Reality...
Four years after he last played for his country, the West Ham forward’s swashbuckling presence makes him an irresistible choice for Gareth SouthgateThere was a genuine tremor of excitement this week at the news Gareth Southgate is planning to go to the London Stadium on Saturday to take a first-hand look at the irresistible, intoxicating Andy Carroll. England have a double-header against Germany and Slovakia coming up in March. Carroll last played for England four years ago. He is – cautiously, baby‑steps – in a rich goalscoring seam. And for all the injuries, the lost years, the sense of talent unexpressed, he remains a strangely compelling and persuasive presence.On Thursday Slaven Bilic slipped his own neutral gear briefly, lowering his...
Graham Taylor took Watford and Aston Villa to the top flight while the former England manager was also a gentle man who was generous with his timeDuring a book signing in the summer of 2007 a stranger passed Graham Taylor a handwritten note relating to its author’s wedding, scheduled for the following January. “I got the letter and thought I knew what was coming,” Taylor said. “I thought I’d be asked to do a video message but to my surprise he wanted me to be his best man. I sat down with my wife and agreed to do it. The sheer cheek of it just tickled my senses.” And so it is that Taylor was the star turn at the...
Leicester City’s title win was every bit the fairy story, as was Wales’ run at Euro 2016, but England displayed their unerring ability to ruin the moodThe year 2016 was a terrific one for the Premier League and a terrible 12 months for English football. Leicester City’s title success was every bit the fairytale, the perfect antidote to long-held and justifiable fears that ordinary clubs could no longer dream of glory as the bigger institutions and the Champions League elite had effectively ringfenced all the prizes worth winning. Related: A 2016 football moment to remember: Dejan Lovren sets the Kop on fire | Paul Doyle Arsenal and Tottenham are particularly guilty of dithering instead of cashing in on managerial changes elsewhereI've...
If England’s new manager looks like the safe choice that is perhaps because he’s also the right choice, even if his appointment prompts a yawn of indifferenceDivorced, beheaded and died; sacked, disgraced, resigned. Not forgetting, of course, seduced by sheikhs, humiliated by an emerging volcano‑nation and bought and sold for a pint of wine and a keynote-speaker gig. Like doomed Tudor wives, this seems to be the lot of England football managers now, remembered more for the frenzied drama of their departures than any tangible success on the pitch.With this in mind welcome, finally, to the dawning of the age of Gareth. After a trial period that ended just short of matching Sam Allardyce’s 67-day reign, Gareth Southgate has finally...