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LONDON – Jack Grealish and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will soon ask Gareth Southgate some awkward questions if they continue to act like this.
England were snaking through a pedestrianized first half on Thursday at Wembley as Wales grew in confidence and seemed more determined in the first 26 minutes before Grealish suddenly produced a quality moment, a cut above anything the visitors they could hope to produce. Faced with Wales defender Ethan Ampadu just outside the box down the right wing, the Aston Villa playmaker swung the ball to his right foot to create a meter of space and huddled over a sumptuous cross that had goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will cross his line in vain. Calvert-Lewin evaded Chris Mepham with the simplest of moves to head home from inside the 6-yard box and mark his debut with a crouched header.
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Wales never recovered in a 3-0 loss.
Grealish was then fouled by Ampadu seven minutes after the break in which Kieran Trippier, captain of the night, launched a free kick to the back post for Conor Coady to score his first goal for England, sparking unbridled joy in the Wolves defender.
Grealish has had to wait a long time for his full debut after an excellent 2019-20 campaign for Aston Villa, so he probably sees it as part of the course that is likely some distance from cementing a spot in Southgate’s preferred XI. After all, the 25-year-old was selected here only because Southgate made seven changes to his previous lineup, the drab October draw against Denmark, with his eyes fixed on Sunday’s Nations League clash against Belgium, ranked by FIFA as the best. team in the world.
Grealish glided across the Wembley surface, looking right at home as he placed himself at the heart of England’s greatest attacking moments. It started and ended on the left flank of Southgate’s 3-4-3 system, appearing intermittently to the right, as the England manager continued to avoid the 4-3-3 form that was initially the post-World Cup plan.
On the eve of this game, Southgate suggested that the need for greater stability in his team led to a return to the use of three center-backs, a structure that served England so well in Russia before adding the caveat that “three forwards will always be part of our thinking. ” Less than a year ago the conversation on England’s field was whether Southgate had the best three forwards in the world with Jadon Sancho, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling firing at full throttle. This match against Wales was England’s first home encounter in 11 months, when they beat Montenegro 7-0 when Kane scored a hat trick and Marcus Rashford, the best placed candidate to break up that conversation, also found the score.
A lot can happen before next summer’s delayed Euro 2020, but the odds are against Grealish and, in particular, Calvert-Lewin making their way into Southgate’s starting lineup for the tournament. The same applies to Danny Ings, who at least showed his versatility starting on the right, but felt noticeably more comfortable after switching down the middle when Calvert-Lewin shot up, adding a sharply taken third with a kick over the top. head a short distance after an alternate. Tyrone Mings met Kalvin Phillips’ corner kick in the 63rd minute.
“[Grealish] “He’s a different type of player than anyone we have,” Southgate told the media after the game. “Sancho and Raheem have the ability to dribble and beat people, but they do it differently. They feel very comfortable receiving [the ball] under pressure. The area he got into for goal is where he should aim to be more regularly because you want a player of his ability in and around the last third as much as you can. I keep insisting that these are the areas of the game where he can make a difference and he did it tonight. So I am very happy for him.
“In terms of debuts made, I thought Dominic looked like home. He’s done it all week, frankly. He didn’t look nervous in any way. The fact that he’s playing well for his club. They’re the best in the league. . He’s scoring regularly; it couldn’t be a better time to get him to set-up. It’ll take a lot of confidence tonight. “
As England’s captain and talisman, Kane is a sure starter barring injury. A supporting role might be the best Calvert-Lewin can hope for, but this was a good way to start his unlikely rise, recording his 10th goal of the season and becoming the 12th player to score in his England debut since 2000. Sterling , Rashford and, to a lesser extent, Sancho have the delivery record for England, which Southgate values. Sancho is also in mischievous stride after his coronavirus violation on the eve of joining the squad.
Grealish isn’t prepared for a deeper role in central midfield at 3-4-3, possibly upsetting the team’s balance, while a deeper role at 4-3-3 would pose similar problems. Your best bet might well be trying to evict one of Sancho, Sterling or Rashford and, like Calvert-Lewin, you couldn’t do much more than what was asked of you here.
Bukayo Saka nearly scored his debut with a goal, his 70th minute shot deflecting Connor Roberts but not eluding Hennessey’s outstretched hand. The 19-year-old would have had a more difficult night on defense if Wales had been able to call in the injured Gareth Bale or select Aaron Ramsey, confined by COVID; This was the first time since March 2019 that the visitors started a match without their two most prominent players, but coach Ryan Giggs still left Daniel James, Harry Wilson and David Brooks out as he, too, had football games in mind. the League of Nations on Sunday. Wales traveling to the Republic of Ireland.
And as if to underline the experimental feel, Coady finished the game as England captain once Trippier left in his second start. This was very much the warm-up before Sunday’s main event. Grealish and Calvert-Lewin at least took one step closer to center stage.
