Kieran Gibbs Emerges as Unlikely Impressor in England's Win over Slovenia

WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON — Success stories were looking hard to come by at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening after 57 minutes. A flat, subdued stadium atmosphere extended its ominous tentacles over the white lines, constricting the players and largely sucking the life out of what should have been a lively and eventful game—it was a European Championships qualifier, after all.

It took a Slovenia goal to ignite an incredibly nonchalant home side; it's as if they saw the (frankly overblown) pitch conditions caused by the NFL International Series and began rehearsing their excuses as to why they didn't play well.

A rather spectacular header by Jordan Henderson, for all the wrong reasons, breathed life into a flagging contest, and posed with a challenge, Danny Welbeck and Co. upped their performance levels considerably.

Previously, a lack of movement or direction on the ball hurt England as they ambled through the first 57 minutes, with very little incisiveness or edge to their play.

Rooney's 100th cap; Nathaniel Clyne—widely believed to be the England right-back for the next five years or more—starting; Adam Lallana playing deeper and playing well. The storylines appeared obvious pre-game, but another, more intriguing one emerged during the match itself.

Kieran Gibbs played very well in place of Leighton Baines, and on the night most eyes were trained on the right full-back position, the competition on the opposite side spiced itself considerably.

Andraz Kirm isn't exactly an examination of epic proportions, but very little danger posed by the Slovenians was sourced from their right-hand side. Gibbs defended studiously, tracked his runners and allowed himself room to gallop forward.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

It was in the attacking third, as with Arsenal, that the left-back made a bigger mark. Making late runs into space to confuse Miso Brecko and hitting the byline to provide width were much-needed traits. A slow first-half performance from England would have been even slower without a concerted effort to stretch the play by Gibbs.

His role in the third goal should not be understated. A great run in behind was picked out, stretching the defence to its limits, and he worked the ball inside for Welbeck to eventually score.

The audition, for some, will be in vain. Baines is Roy Hodgson's go-to guy following Ashley Cole's retirement pre-World Cup, but even that experiment could be cut short if performances dictate it so.

The truth is, Baines has never shown Everton form for England, and the competition from Gibbs—unsung, but solid in all recent trials in a white shirt—stands fierce. Luke Shaw is widely perceived as the de facto first-choice for the future, but Gibbs, at 25 years of age, literally has the legs to put the brakes on that plan.

Hodgson admitted in the post-match press conference that England were flat early on, but livened up in the second half: "You don't always get what you want from the first minute. In the first half we dominated but it was a bit sterile. No penetration. We weren't creating clear cut chances."

He credited debutant Clyne, Man of the Match Jack Wilshere and centurion Rooney with the defining roles in the turnaround. But he found room to praise Gibbs, too: "Both of them [Gibbs and Clyne] did well. They played high up the field like we wanted them to, and they both defended very solidly."

The width high up was key to England's more expansive play, and the aforementioned run created the third goal. He's just as suited to this formation as Shaw or Baines, and his form this season trumps both.

The focus may fall on the usual suspects post-match, but it was Gibbs that emerged as the unlikely impressor on Saturday night.

Follow @stighefootball

 *Quotes obtained first-hand at Wembley Stadium.