Unconvincing. That said England’s second half performance was reminiscent of a team whose players earn in hours what the Andora players do in weeks. Bravo to Steven Gerrard who, in the absence of Frank Lampard, played in the way that he can… and gaffered the game. If Lennon could cross the ball then England could have had many more goals. I heard briefly chants of ‘there’s only one David Beckham’ on the radio. The same had been sung in Tel Aviv but I’m pretty sure this was just directed to rile McClaren rather than any serious praise for the ex-England skipper.
Due to family circumstances late on the weekend beforehand I didn’t go to the game in person. Perhaps I’m happy I didn’t.
If confidence is what is shattered in the England team (in the words of Alan Shearer) then the players need to rise to the challenge. England fans expect. Just as Brazillian and Italian fans expect. There are no excuses, it’s the Manager who sets the tactics and the players then need to perform on the field. 3 points is 3 points and thankfully England managed this amidst solid, at times dirty, challenges and time wasting.
Roll on the end of the season. Get on the training ground and prepare for Estonia. An injury-free England will still qualify for Euro 2008.