Sunderland striker showed he has lost none of his sharpness or eye for goal to vindicate Gareth Southgate’s decision to recall him after three years awayThere was something very familiar about all this. The sight of a winger bustling to the byline and, even as he pulled the ball back across goal, being absolutely convinced the net would be billowing by the time his momentum had carried him on to the artificial turf ringing the pitch. Jermain Defoe tends to offer that calibre of reassurance, forever loitering as he does in enemy territory spanning the width of the posts, the six-yard box only ever a dart away, defenders constantly on edge. Cue that trademark celebration, arms stretched wide, as the...
Kyle Walker’s raids carry an impressive threat, Joe Hart fails to inspire confidence while the crowd show good humour after boorishness in GermanyGiven how low the bar was when Gareth Southgate came in, the first thing he had to achieve to be able to point to progress was avoid becoming embroiled in a national scandal or humiliation. It is thumbs up on that front for now and there is circumstantial evidence of progress beyond that. After an honourable defeat by an improvised Germany team, England showed against Lithuania just enough speed and clever movement to unhinge opponents who aspired to do nothing more than erect human barricades around their box from the first minute. Both goals were beauties but there...
Coach called on Jones to give his squad a lesson in winning before their match with Lithuania and his charges are learning the value of initiativeGareth Southgate handed the stage to the player at his side when it came down to dissecting more precisely the advice and guidance offered up by Eddie Jones on Friday night. The England rugby union coach had addressed the nation’s senior football squad back at their team hotel in Hertfordshire, his presentation devoid of PowerPoint slides or whiteboard bullet points. Players have a tendency to drift off on such occasions, staring blankly at the rat‑a‑tat of buzzwords, but the Australian apparently held the room.“We have taken massive inspiration from his work,” said Ryan Bertrand. “His...
Gordon Strachan was unconvincing when he spoke positively of Scotland’s display in the 1-1 home draw with Lithuania in World Cup qualifying and more will be needed in SlovakiaGiven the extent to which soundbites have shaped popular perception of Gordon Strachan, there is something poetic about such utterances now appearing at the root of his undoing. Scotland’s woeful performance in drawing with Lithuania on Saturday evening was alarming enough for beleaguered Tartan Army foot soldiers before Strachan provided the latest glimpses of his signing up for the flat earth society. No sooner had James McArthur snatched a last-minute equaliser than Strachan spoke of bad luck, outstanding displays and similar.Scotland have been in this movie far too often for anyone to...