He needs to be England captain permanently rather than spreading it around
Approaching midnight on Friday night at Malta’s National Stadium in Ta’ Qali and, even in flattering victory, the fallout felt familiar. Plenty of travelling England supporters had left an admittedly remotely positioned arena long before the late flurry of goals that added gloss after all the huff and puff. Players traipsed away, a step closer to World Cup qualification, but wary, compelled to address booing, frustration and discontent. And this
after a 4-0 win.
Harry Kane, rapidly becoming a talisman for this team, was willing to confront the discord. “Everyone just needs to stay patient,” the striker said. “Obviously the fans can be frustrated. We were frustrated, too, in that first half. We always want to blow teams away, but it doesn’t always happen like that, especially in games like this when people always underestimate the opposition, and especially away from home. They can do what they want and they just have to stay patient as we did. When people looked at this on Saturday morning and saw a 4-0 result they’d say that’s what people would have expected.
“It takes a lot of commitment to reach the top, starting from a young age, dedication and you have to be a top professional to play for your country. Anyone who says otherwise I don’t think they understand what it takes ... it’s probably why they’re sitting at home watching and we’re out there playing.
“I’m extremely proud to represent my country and I know the other players are. We’re by no means the finished article. But we’ve got to stay patient as a country, together, because it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Those within the setup can spy progress, even if it is not always as simple to see from the outside looking in. They can point to the team refusing to panic against Malta when the hosts, ranked 190 in the world, did not fold in the early stages and, rather, doggedly pursued the victory that ultimately appeared comfortable. The optimist in Gareth Southgate would hope that is an indication lessons have been learned in the period since
Iceland in Nice at Euro 2016.
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Then there was Marcus Rashford’s impact off the bench and the ruthlessness of the latter stages against tiring opponents. The manager described it as “a professional job”, though a far sterner test awaits on Monday.
Slovakia, in contrast to the Maltese, are 22nd in the world, on England’s shoulder in the group and bolstered by five successive wins in the section.
At least England and Southgate have Kane. The two goals in Ta’ Qali took his international tally to 10 from 20 caps, and five in his past three appearances. His timing has been in, whether deflating the Maltese or
securing the late point in Scotland just as his team appeared broken. Throw in
a couple of goals at Stade de France, even in a friendly defeat, and he has established himself as a figure upon whom the national team can rely. “I’m glad we have got him,” said Southgate. “As a coach, to be able to pick players of that quality is a privilege. He’s there absolutely on merit. His performances over the last two seasons with club and country justify that. We’re fortunate to have him as a top-quality player.”
Kane said: “It’s just a case of being a bit more experienced at this level. I’ve now got 20 caps, so it’s just a case of getting used to playing with these players. When you play for
England you’re going to get more chances and it’s just a case of taking them. I’ve felt sharp all season and I knew if I got a couple of chances on Friday I’d take them and that’s what happened. I’ll carry that burden of expectations and I’ll relish it.”
Overreliance must not become too much of an issue, particularly post-Wayne Rooney. England could turn to Rashford on Friday, tapping into buoyant club form from Manchester United, as well as Danny Welbeck and Jamie Vardy from the bench. Jermain Defoe and Daniel Sturridge were not required. It would be unwise to overreact after a win over Malta, and all of that group have, at one stage or another, looked ineffective against cannier international opposition in the past, just as the entire England team have, but there is clearly depth there and players Southgate is learning to place trust.
“We’re fortunate we’ve got some real quality and people who can make a massive impact off the bench as well,” he said. “Last season, we didn’t have Harry for six of our eight matches, so it’s crucial we have that depth. But one thing for certain is we will score goals as a team. We have done that against everybody except Germany, really – two against Spain, two against France – so we have shown evidence of being able to score, even if we also need to be able to score in different ways. Opponents will defend in different ways against us.”
Slovakia should be rugged and robust, as they were in Trnava as
Sam Allardyce squeezed out a victory in his only game in charge, courtesy of Adam Lallana’s solitary goal deep into stoppage time. They will not be pushovers and there will presumably be periods when frustration mounts again and the home side crave a creative central midfielder to unlock stubborn opposition. But, if chances can be created from the industry, Kane will be there to take them.
“We can put a big marker down on Monday,” he said. “But we just need to stay patient, stay relaxed and see what happens.”
