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The FA did not light up the Wembley arch and Gareth Southgate’s England players did not light up the pitch. It was a night of football that many would rather quickly forget.
One of them will be Jordan Henderson, booed on and off the pitch as captain by a section of England fans who cannot see past his recent decision to leave the Premier League for Saudi Arabia.
Sometimes it’s football in 2023. Political, complicated, sensitive and, this time, completely unsatisfying.
It’s not often that we say that about Southgate’s England. They don’t often disappoint us. Here, however, a second-string team played horribly poorly in a first half that should have seen them fall behind. Only the weak Australian finish spared them.
After that, they were better. Jack Grealish set up his former Aston Villa teammate Ollie Watkins for the easiest international goal just before the hour mark and as Southgate made change after change after change – six between the goal and the 73rd minute – l England improved to dominate territory in a manner that had proved beyond them in the first half.
It hasn’t been easy, but England maintained their Wembley record with a 1-0 win over Australia in Friday’s friendly clash thanks to a solo goal from Ollie Watkins.
Watkins struck in the second half after sliding in at the far post to tap in Jack Grealish’s initial effort
Still, Australia should have earned a more-than-deserved draw thanks to German second division midfielder Connor Metcalfe heading towards the post from a corner when he seemed destined to score a famous 10-man goal. minutes from the end.
For the first 45 minutes, England were too slow, too disconnected and frankly too poor to make anything other than a bad impression on that damp London night.
Their opponents were playful, ambitious and excellent on the counter-attack. If their finishing had been up to all that, they would have been ahead by a few goals. When you have a record and ranking like England, friendlies can feel like traps. Little to gain and a lot to lose.
They created the first opening in the eighth minute when Jarrod Bowen slipped a ball past Conor Gallagher on the right side. The Chelsea player’s low pass across goal could have been collected by at least two teammates, but both appeared to go slightly over the ball.
At the time it seemed like a warning to Australia, but it was a false warning. James Maddison played Watkins through the middle with a fine pass in the 29th minute and the Aston Villa player rounded goalkeeper Mat Ryan and fired against the far post.
Other than that, there was nothing from England. Australia, on the other hand, have regularly threatened against an England back four that too often looks too uncomfortable.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold cutting into midfield from right-back whenever possible, England created overloads. Sometimes, however, the Liverpool player would leave behind what looked like a huge hole.
Australia had four clear chances at halftime. The first came when Keanu Baccus’s cross from the left was deflected into his own goal by Fikayo Tomori in the 12th minute. Sam Johnstone saved well from deep in the England goal.
Jordan Henderson (left) captained England in the absence of Harry Kane who was rested
Gareth Southgate rested the majority of his big stars during the friendly clash
Johnstone was pretty helpless soon after, when Mitchell Duke wrapped his right foot around a near-post cross and fired a volley inches wide from 12 yards. That would have been a great goal.
Some shaky defending from a corner nearly destroyed England soon after. Once the ball had been recycled, a cross to the near post could have been headed in and then, as the ball fell, Kye Rowles lifted it eight yards when he should have done better.
Ryan Strain came close just at halftime. It was played in cleverly by Martin Boyle and although his low shot beat Johnstone, Lewis Dunk had made up ground to clear it off the line.
England simply had to be better in the second half and they were. Almost immediately, they played with more urgency and directness. Grealish’s change under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City has been such that his first instinct no longer seems to be to pass a defender. Here, for a while, that changed.
Sam Johnstone was forced to make impressive saves to deny Australia
Likewise, at the other end, Bowen crossed low and dangerously, causing the Australian defense to panic in a way they had not needed until now.
Then, just before the hour mark, as Southgate warmed up his substitutes, England scored. A free kick was cleared, but when Alexander-Arnold sent the ball loose to the far post, Australia found themselves in a confusing situation.
The ball should never really have reached Grealish on the other side, but when it did he controlled and moved it expertly, allowing him to push it low towards goal towards the corner . His shot may have gone in anyway, but Watkins couldn’t be sure, sliding to push it over the line by inches.
James Maddison (left) looked to be England’s main creator in a difficult first half
Grealish and Watkins combined to score the only goal of the night in England’s victory.
It was a lead England did not deserve at that stage. But for the next half and no doubt aided by a host of substitutes, they were the better team for the first time in the match.
This impression did not quite last, as England slowly retreated to finish the match as it had started, that is to say in a state of vague disorganization.
Dunk was now partnered by John Stones at centre-half and Kieran Trippier at right-back. There was still no one home as Metcalfe slammed his header against the post late on.
That wasn’t the only scare either, as England held on for a most unconvincing victory. This will be a week where the FA will be happy to get out of the way.