Mind your backs
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling's chance to show they were the England
centre-backs of the future fell flat as soon as Ecuador's ninth minute
goal came from the type of opportunity that English centre-halves are
supposed to be good at dealing with. Aparecio Ayoví's cross dipped over
both of them, with Smalling made to look especially flat-footed as Enner
Valencia headed in. Fears about Luke Shaw's defensive nous could also
be raised as he was rather slow to sniff the danger when covering
Smalling, his nearest centre-back.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Ben Foster was repeatedly found out on safari
when Ecuador attacked. The first was ill-advised, the second a
well-chosen charge to smother Jefferson Montero, whose run had bisected
the middle of England's defence once again. A third in the first half
was the result, like the others, of Smalling and Jones misreading the
offside trap and Foster having to bail them out.
This was panicky stuff, and looked just as it was: a unit that had
never yet played together before. James Milner did not look a full back,
either, even if he has been tried in that position before for his
country. After Glen Johnson's Friday foibles, has the right of England's
defence become the Achilles heel? Gary Neville, one of his country's
finest ever players in that role, may need to start earning his coaching
corn.
Centrally, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka may not possess the star
quality of predecessors John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, but on this
evidence, they are just as important. There is a distinct lack of
quality below them, even if Jones, with typical reckless bravery, did
begin to find his feet as the game went on: Smalling still looked lost.
Hodgson could rightly argue that this was a reserve team selection, but
what if he needs to call on these reserve defenders?
In mitigation for that out-of-sorts backline, they were rarely
offered much help by the players in front of them. When Michael Arroyo
scored Ecuador's second goal with a superb strike, he was given time to
take aim by some slack covering from Jack Wilshere and Milner, by now
restored to midfield.
Wilshere looked to struggle with the conditions, and later limped
off, while Frank Lampard's fitness faded. After all, he is 36. Ross
Barkley's sense of adventure from the nominal no. 10 role left the
others with extra work to do, and none seemed to have the necessary
qualities to do it.
The surge of youth
Raheem Sterling, who stood out as a substitute against Peru last
week, was again left on the bench and is the only outfield player not
to have started either of England's warmup games. Perhaps he is being
held back as a cunning secret weapon. After all, Italy or Uruguay are
unlikely to have noticed his outstanding performances in the Premier
League, are they? In Miami, he came on in the 65th minute for Wayne
Rooney, but only briefly, as a sending off for a contretemps with
Antonio Valencia threw the shroud of secrecy back over him.
The scouts watching may now know a little more of Barkley, that other
wild-card wonderkid. Charges from deep and ambitious attempts on goal
were all present and correct. One first-half surge had the hallmarks of
his outstanding Everton form, but then the pass to Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain was delayed too long. The 52nd minute saw him stage a
repeat performance, but this time the pass to Rickie Lambert was as
perfect as the striker's resulting finish to make it 2-1.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, another callow type, had looked as if his fitness
was returned after missing the climax of Arsenal's season. England's
hopes of success surely lie with rapid attacking play so Barkley and
"the Ox" showing off such abilities was a decent marker. However, when
Oxlade-Chamberlain left the field after sustaining a knee injury, the
thrill was somewhat dampened.
Rooney on the fringes
Wayne Rooney out on the left wing, then. In these days of voguish
inverted wingers, he seemed unwilling to open out the angle to shoot
from, as is the habit of the role's finest exponents, Arjen Robben and
Franck Ribery, or even lesser talents like his Manchester United
colleague, Ashley Young. Instead, when Barkley supplied a fine early
through-ball to the makeshift flank-forward, Rooney chose the outside of
his right foot. For a player whose left foot is actually not as bad as
many of modern football's one-footed wonders, this was disappointing.
The new role did bear fruit with a goal, scored from a position to
the left of Lambert. Actually, he was only about two inches to the
striker's left, as both hacked at a loose ball. Rooney's was his 39th
goal, and surely scruffiest, goal for his country and the celebration
was suitably apologetic.
Its manner was hardly enough to end doubts, and neither was his clear
discomfort with this new role. When offered licence to roam, he
wandered right and was suddenly much more involved. He looked happier,
too. His departure for Sterling followed a contribution to the second
half that was fitful, and involved that same switching of positions.
Rickie's reverie
Life just bounces for Rickie Lambert. Having this week achieved a
lifetime's dream in finally becoming a Liverpool first-teamer, he has
become a parable for the honest professional in the lower leagues. He
also looks a more than decent option for Roy Hodgson's World Cup finals
campaign.
The crispness of his finish for England's second goal was evidence of
a player brimming with confidence. These are often the type of players
who flourish at major tournaments. Dr. Steve Peters, England's
psychologist, would probably agree that a happy footballer is usually a
more effective player. Hodgson should not be afraid to use a player it
seemed he was not fully confident in until it became clear that Andy
Carroll was not up to the job
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