England beat Albania in World Cup qualifier

 England beat Albania in World Cup qualifier

Never has an England football team looked stronger, fitter, chipper, upbeat and, above all else, confident. We could get used to this. After breezing through their inevitable 5-0 opening World Cup qualifier victory over San Marino, we were led to assume that Albania would prove no less demanding opposition for Gareth Southgate and so it was that England promptly obliged. But this was a far from rampant England who had swotted aside  San Marino so dismissively that even the painful recollections of that bonkers 10- second goal England had conceded against San Marino back in the early 1990s had now been banished to the archives of long, long ago.

At the moment both club and international football just can't be taken seriously and even the trickle of applause that accompanied the England players on their way to their starting position brought to mind the World Croquet championships rather than football's blue riband global tournament. Shortly those fanatical, vociferous and flag waving England supporters could be allowed to travel around Europe with their team as soon as football and sport are given permission to fill the terraces again with unwavering support. 

In early June the whole of England will hold its breath in breathless anticipation of Euro 2020, a year later than scheduled but nonetheless relieved to be in full song, brandishing banners, banging drums, playing trumpets and giving a glorious rendition of the Great Escape. It will be one of the finest, loveliest sights in modern day football because the ancient stuff has to be condemned to another age. England will be back in harness and their football supporters will have rehearsed plenty of the gallows humour variety. 

In deepest Tirana, England performed with all the panache of a Norman Wisdom stand up routine. Wisdom of course is the great English comedian who once had them rolling in the Albanian aisles, a man once given the freedom of Albania. But there were no slapstick routines for England as Gareth Southgate, yet to display his latest line in waistcoats, modestly praised his England for their patience and perseverance. 

Now the fact is that none of us should get too excited about this rather low key England performance. They did what they had to do and no more. They did get the job done and there were very few flaws, foibles and worrying moments. But surely England must be used to playing such lightweight European opponents. In fact so conditioned have they become to playing teams like Albania that they could probably have beaten them in their sleep. This result had all the predictability that had preceded most of England's European adventures in previous qualifiers. Much of Eastern Europe has been conquered so Albania were rather like target practice for England. 

But last night in Albania, all of our expectations were blown out of the water within an hour. For much of a tedious, dull, plodding first half England seemed to be strolling around the pitch rather like tourists taking in the bracing air at a seaside resort. England assumed an almost arrogant indifference to their surroundings. This would prove to be far too easy for an England side who, five years ago, were beaten by famous world beaters Iceland in the Euros. We all expressed shame and disgust then but Albania were never remotely as vulnerable and compliant as England were against Iceland. 

True, this was no walk in the park for England and England had set out their stall. It wasn't impressive. When Albania had built several defensive banks across the centre of the pitch, England were reduced to keep ball. What we now had was something akin to five a side practice match for the away side as England proceeded to take out their mathematical protractor, creating cute but cultured passing patterns that owed more to Pythagoras Theorem than international football. England were passing, moving, cutting in cleverly from the flanks and then recycling the ball as if it had adopted a new life at an airport baggage carousel. 

For more than an hour or so there was an incessant drumbeat of passing and passing and passing that left most of the Albanians in a drunken stupor, hypnotised and mesmerised by England's very academic looking short passing game. There was a sense here that England were mocking their opponents status in an attempt to just grind them down and then score a hatful. This didn't happen though and eventually England broke through twice to take the sting out of their opponents and then came home top of their World Cup qualifying group.

When the consistently steady and thoughtful Luke Shaw rallied together with Manchester City's calm and upright John Stones, England never looked even remotely troubled. England were switching gears, pulling on the handbrake and moving the ball around as if it were some kind of beach ball that had been left behind last summer. There was something missing about England's game, no real conviction, cutting edge, incisiveness and penetration, a lack of any world class radicalism about their football. Everything looked as if England had left their thought processes back at St George's Park. 

Instead we had a slumbering England, a dozy and drowsy England, a lazy and lethargic England, an England who just assumed that all they had to do was get out of bed, shower, brush their teeth and just give the office the day off. Before this match some of the England staff  were ever so concerned about the treacherous state of the pitch in Tirana, claiming it was rough, sticky and not properly prepared. Still, excuses were thin on the ground and England did beat Albania and business had been done. 

In midfield England resembled a very youthful sixth form combination, a sweet mixture of level headed maturity and shrewdly fashioned football from the start. The average age of Gareth Southgate's young bloods bordered on roughly the late teens and just old enough to vote. Mason Mount looks a complete and exceptionally skilful player both in and out of possession, closely protecting the ball and manipulating it with a wonderful awareness of his colleagues. Chelsea have much to be proud of. 

Meanwhile West Ham's Declan Rice emerged as one of the best defensive midfield players in recent times. He is certainly no Bobby Moore at the moment but there is something about Rice that re-assures you that all will be well if he makes the expected progress at international level. Rice was more than content to play the short, simple ball into space without panicking about his bearings. Whether he can achieve the necessary consistency at international level remains a moot point. 

England could also trust the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalvin Phillips, Phil Foden and Harry Kane were slowly but surely unravelling an obstinate and well organised Albanian side who, whenever England threatened to score, just shut the door, bricked up their seemingly impassable defence and then held the English tide. Both Foden of Manchester City, who does look a player naturally suited to his very advanced attacking role and a very controlled looking Phillips could be the genuine articles in Gareth Southgate's well stocked squad. 

Admittedly Liverpool's Jordan Henderson should be pencilled in immediately for Euro 2020 or perhaps it should be referred to as Euro 2021 but Henderson feels the most logical choice for captain of the team. There is obviously something of his Anfield predecessors Emlyn Hughes and Steven Gerrard about Henderson and both were England skippers of some celebrated renown. Henderson has almost inborn leadership qualities and if England do need somebody who can pump fists at demoralised players, rolling up his proverbial sleeve and providing inspiration at every stage of an important game then Henderson has to be a certainty for the tournament.  

After 37 minutes and much labouring, careful jabbing and sparring, England accelerated, lifted the tempo markedly and scored the game's opening goal. Following a blizzard of short, sharp exchanges between Sterling and then Shaw, the ball was swung invitingly into the six yard box and firmly low onto the lethal head of Kane. Kane crouched to meet the ball and flicked a beautifully directed header past the Albanian keeper. 

This seemed the ideal platform for a major England victory but regrettably the second half was more or less an extension of the first. England continued to look after the ball rather like a child protecting their pet dog or rabbit. England normally take out a lease on possession when the game remains in the balance and there was a slight hint of fragility with England only a goal up. But the passes were correct, neat, succinct, overwhelmingly pretty and sometimes too ornate at times. There has to be a point when all of the delicate muslins and silks have to be sewn together and presented for approval.

Finally, after much Pass the Parcel and Musical Chairs, England abandoned their party pieces for the second goal that would wrap this game up once and for all. Raheem Sterling, still an effective and graceful presence on the wing, dropped shoulders, slid and slipped through challenges as if they were in another country. Now Sterling burrowed his way to the by line again, laying the ball across the Albanian six yard box deftly before Mason Mount clipped the ball home with the outside of his boot. Job done and England head their World Cup qualifying group.

The deserts of Saudi may seem far off at the moment but once England hitch their camels and prepare hopefully for their ultimate World Cup excursion next year, we could look forward to next year with adventure on our minds but once again the caution of a side who invariably get stage frights at any international tournament. 

Last night England's World Cup campaign looked as far removed from their age defining World Cup Final victory in 1966 as it was possible to be. Most of the stadium was just a mass of marketing brand leaders and famous names. The advertising hoardings told us that E-Bay was still very much in business and that those prominent blue chip companies were still in control. Oh for the sight of those entertaining English supporters. How we've missed you. Still, it can't be long now. Keep safe everybody.