New look England is still a work in progress

England continued the good work from Friday’s convincing win against Montenegro with another display of flexibility and mobility, with Steven Gerrard and Michael Carrick sensibly anchoring the midfield to allow Roy Hodgson’s attacking players freedom to roam up front.

The inclusion of Carrick at Frank Lampard’s expense was to put a more recognised defensive midfielder in place, someone willing to stay back, break up attacks and help the back four keep Poland’s forwards at bay. That left a question mark over the role of the notional wide players in Hodgson’s formation. On Friday night, hungry for goals, England had variously played with three, sometimes four players up front, with Andros Townsend more or less sticking to the duties expected of a right winger but Danny Welbeck popping up in advanced positions. Would England be as bold in a search for a win again, or would they keep players back out of respect for Poland’s ability on the counterattack?

Hodgson kept the same attacking quartet for this final group game, though Townsend and Welbeck began in more orthodox wide roles in a conventional 4-4-2, Welbeck occasionally moving inside when Leighton Baines stepped up to provide width on the left.

Rooney effort
Baines was doing just that in the eighth minute when Wayne Rooney found him in space, for a low cross that would have found Welbeck at the near post but for Artur Jedrzejczyk. That was promising for England, less so was the ease with which Poland broke straight down the pitch from the resultant corner, the England defence backing off to allow Robert Lewandowski his first shooting chance. His tame effort was gathered by Joe Hart, but it was a warning.

England were very nearly caught out midway through the first half when Lewandowski should have scored. Again England were almost caught out at their own corner, having left only Baines on guard duty in his own half, a strategy that looked flawed when he was suddenly outnumbered. Townsend almost made a goal out of nothing when his speculative shot on the half hour came back off the bar, with Welbeck forcing a save from the follow-up, yet Carrick and Gerrard were also making progress by launching attacks from the base of midfield.

Gerrard and Rooney nearly played in Welbeck shortly before the interval, Piotr Celeban rescuing his side with a block, and both were involved – Carrick twice – in the patient passing move that led to Rooney’s headed goal. Again Baines found useful space on the left, Carrick found him, and the rest was down to the Everton player’s reliable crossing ability.

While Poland tried to score on the break, staying mostly behind the ball allowed England an almost permanent outlet on the left. Lewandowski could have equalised on the hour, Joe Hart just got a decisive glove to the ball after Jakub Blaszczykowski had neatly opened up a path to goal, but England would not be England without a few scares and close calls. Towards the end England began to defend deep and invite pressure. New look England is still a work in progress.
Guardian Service