England Defence Hoping Good Days Are Ahead After Rare Clean Sheet vs. Portugal
Prior to England's final Euro 2016 warm-up match against Portugal on Thursday—a 1-0 win coming by way of Chris Smalling's late header—Roy Hodgson revealed part of his reasoning for scheduling them.
"We were thinking about Gareth Bale," the manager said, per BBC Sport. Unfortunately, his plan to test his side against the Welshman's Real Madrid team-mate, the similarly well-equipped Cristiano Ronaldo, fell apart as the latter was still recovering from his own Champions League final exertion.
England's defence did not get Ronaldo as Bale, denying them the chance to prepare specifically for their second group game against Wales. As it worked out, Bruno Alves' 35th-minute sending-off for a wild high boot near Harry Kane also denied them a more substantial challenge from their visitors.
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Yet, as disappointing an exercise as the contest against the depleted Portuguese proved in these respects, it was not a completely worthless night for the team's rearguard. Centre-back Smalling scored (see above), right-back Kyle Walker won man of the match and collectively they recorded their first clean sheet since beating France on the same Wembley pitch last November.
Coming against a side short of attacking threat in names and numbers—that, as tallied by WhoScored.com, managed no shots on target—it may not feel like much.
England's lifeless overall performance did not provide the momentum-generating send-off everyone would have preferred. The purposeful, occasionally joyful play that has been glimpsed over qualifying and in the run-up to the European Championships was largely absent here.
In that context, a solid defensive display is not much to get excited about.
However, for a rearguard that has been much maligned for some time now, there were positives they can take forward. Their boss praised how "the back players took a lot of responsibility, on the ball and off the ball" (see below, per ITV).
Precedent from previous final preparation friendlies under Hodgson suggests the team fielded against Portugal could be close to the XI he intends to start in England's group opener against Russia on 11 June.
Given how this selection wasted forwards Kane and Jamie Vardy on the periphery and inadvertently also restrained the potentially influential Dele Alli—arguably all in aid of accommodating the willing but similarly ineffectual captain Wayne Rooney—you would hope there is room to manoeuvre this time.
Consistency will serve the interests of this back four, though. Although not a group that has been deployed frequently in this design, its component parts coming together like this has been some time in the making.
Hodgson has been looking to establish Smalling and Gary Cahill's central defensive partnership since the last World Cup.
The former is the man tasked with carrying on a superb legacy left by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at Manchester United, the other a fixture at Chelsea who hopes to be the main man there when John Terry eventually moves on. In a generation short on top-quality English centre-backs, they lead the standout candidates.
Following that disappointing group-stage exit, there have been highs for the fledgling duo—both started the morale-boosting friendly win over Scotland a few months after. There have also been lows—such as a lacklustre effort in an otherwise strong England performance in the qualifying win in Slovenia.
Indeed, showings like the latter are responsible for a central defence's reputation as England's current weak spot—a far cry from the days when Ferdinand and Terry were among the top players around.
The 3-2 win over Germany in March—a match that, based on Thursday, Hodgson has worryingly not appeared to have learned from in regards to getting the best out of his attack—was arguably England's most positive night since Brazil 2014.
Still, the team's confidence going forward was undermined by their nervousness at the back. Smalling and particularly Cahill's absorption with the ball rather than their opponents' movements was punished when Mario Gomez gave the world champions a 2-0 second-half lead.
Rotation, injuries and circumstances have subsequently denied them being able to work on their partnership as liked. But Hodgson has continued to deploy one or the other, and their selection against Portugal suggests they are favoured for now over the talented but green John Stones.
While not severely tested by Fernando Santos' side, they did just about everything that was asked of them.
Cahill was assertive from the first whistle. He went in late on Rafa Silva in the opening minute and was booked for a pre-emptive hack at Nani in his own half but otherwise got his timing right.
The 30-year-old cleared his lines well aerially and sensibly brought the ball out, playing with the kind of maturity required from one of the team's older heads. One second-half sliding tackle to stop an Andre Gomes run was especially superb.
Speaking recently to United Review's Gemma Thompson, per the Red Devils' official website, Smalling spoke in detail about his former team-mate Vidic. He talked about how "his aggression and the dominance he had in games is something I’ve always wanted to bring into my game."
Smalling's previous visit to Wembley demonstrated these are qualities he is still working on. His attempt in the FA Cup final to stop Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie from moving beyond the halfway line failed miserably, and he was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
The core desire behind such attempts is something Vidic was very complimentary about when discussing Smalling recently, though.
"You don’t see many players nowadays who like to defend, there are not many in the world," the Serb said, per the Manchester Evening News' Stuart Mathieson. "That’s his big ability."
When Smalling concentrates, as he largely did against Portugal, you can see what Vidic means.
A long ball over the top almost saw Rafa Silva get the better of him on the 17th minute, with the Englishman riskily pulling at his shirt. The next time the Portuguese threatened, Smalling was alert and stepped in beforehand.
His goal was a nice reward for a performance that grew in stature from there. He controlled troublesome balls well and passed efficiently, recording a 97 per cent pass success rate, per WhoScored.
Either side of Cahill and Smalling, full-backs Walker and Danny Rose are not carrying quite the same baggage. They are part of the England defence but, at this point, are not viewed as so complicit in the issues of the last few years.
Walker has been battling back from the injury problems that cost him a place at both Euro 2012 and World Cup 2014. Rose's transition from midfield to a defensive role has been under way for several years but only really gained traction over the last couple.
Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand will still be hopeful of getting the nod ahead of them in France. But here was another effort from the Tottenham Hotspur defenders to suggest they can translate their strong club form over to the national team setup.
This hoped-for progression has been backed up by earlier appearances in the 2015-16 campaign. Reiterating it in sight of the European Championships did no harm, though.
Rose's early work covering a cross to the back post was welcome for a unit whose chief concern has been those concentration issues. Walker’s hunger to compete with those encroaching on his flank showed Portugal early they would not have anything their own way.
Prior to late substitutions opening the game up, much of England’s strongest attacking work originated from the full-backs' forays forward. Not everything came off, but the intention was pleasing. Crucially, they worked hard to get back into position, too.
Rose and Walker will tell you defending is not all about those at the back—a key tenet of the footballing doctrine consistently preached by their club manager Mauricio Pochettino.
In front of them, defensive midfielder Eric Dier had one of his strongest games yet in an England shirt with another Spurs man in the tenacious Alli unsurprisingly comfortable looking to break up play further forward. The front three's efforts in possession disappointed, but their discipline keeping shape was admirable, albeit not completely conducive to sustained and effective pressing.
It is the defence—backed by goalkeeper Joe Hart—though, who the responsibility will largely fall on in France.
They have a lot to prove out there. But against Portugal, they laid a foundation that may be able to be built upon if they put the necessary work in.
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