England 1 – 0 Austria: Saka gives Southgate’s men win with first Three Lions goal as Alexander-Arnold limps off injured
THERE is a feeling of ill-fate building up around England in the run-up to these Euros.
Even before the cruel injury which leaves Trent Alexander-Arnold facing elimination from the tournament, the omens have not been good.
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Gareth Southgate’s preparations have lacked the clarity he had enjoyed before the World Cup in Russia.
He has named the injured Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson in his 26-man squad.
He has seen two warm-up matches deemed largely irrelevant due to almost half of his players having taken part in European finals.
And having tied himself in knots about England’s four world-class right-backs – and especially Alexander-Arnold – he has now seen the Liverpool man forced off through an alarming thigh injury a day after his selection was confirmed.
England did at least achieve victory over Austria, through Bukayo Saka’s winner, in the first of two pre-tournament friendlies – but it was an undeserved success and marred by hundreds of fans booing players as they took the knee.
Alexander-Arnold is now likely to be replaced in the Euros squad – presumably not by yet another right-back.
But he is not the only injury concern. Henderson was supposed to have featured as a sub here, but did not, while Maguire seems highly unlikely to face Croatia in the tournament opener in 10 days’ time.
Southgate spent plenty of time praising Saka’s ability to lift a struggling team when he named the Arsenal teenager in his squad.
And the 19-year-old certainly rescued a shoddy England side in Middlesbrough, as he justified his selection for the tournament with his first international goal.
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Saka has carried the poorest Gunners side in living memory throughout much of their miserable campaign – his maturity as well as his versatility earning him Southgate’s trust.
And the England boss needed Saka to save him from a morale-sapping result as a makeshift Three Lions side produced an error-strewn performance.
The cavalry are yet to arrive but those from the Manchester clubs and Chelsea are unlikely to be fully involved in the final warm-up game against Romania here on Sunday.
But the injury doubts over Maguire seemed all the more worrying after watching the unconvincing performances of his tournament understudies, Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings.
England were often scrappy in midfield too and they owed keeper Jordan Pickford for a couple of decent second-half saves.
Southgate in his light suit and natty dark shirt – perhaps a new summer ‘look’ to replace his Russian waistcoat – was returning to the Riverside where he captained Boro to their only major trophy, but also led to relegation in his only club management job.
Love it or loathe it, the sound of ‘Football’s Coming Home’ booming around the stadium felt appropriate as supporters – 8,000 of them – watched England for the first time since a visit to Kosovo in November 2019.
But then came the booing from hundreds of fans, as players ‘took the knee’ against racism – although many more applauded in support of the action.
The majority of England’s starting XI was black or mixed race. The sheer idiocy of those who came out to support them but jeer the idea of racial equality really is staggering.
Mention it, and they will argue that elite footballers are Marxists – not that you would hear many Premier League players arguing for 95 per cent higher tax rates.
It was an untidy start from England, Mings getting away with one as he took out Marco Friedl with an off-the-ball body-check worthy of an NFL linebacker.
Harry Kane’s driven crossfield ball found Alexander-Arnold in space but the Liverpool’s man rising shot was deflected over before Jude Bellingham – on an impressive first England start – headed straight at keeper Daniel Bachmann.
A Jesse Lingard shot was turned in by Bellingham but ruled out for handball by Mings.
For a spell, England moved the ball at pace, winning dangerous free-kicks and Saka soon skied a close-range volley.
Jack Grealish was especially threatening – a proper crowd-pleaser with a crowd to please once more – although for a player with fitness concerns, he was taking an awful lot of kicks from the Austrians.
The Villa man, in the No 10 role, slipped in a pass to Kane, who was thwarted by an on-rushing Bachmann.
England faded as half-time approached and after a couple of errors from Coady, Pickford was forced off his line to deny Christoph Baumgartner.
But 12 minutes into the second half, England were in front.
Bellingham won possession, Grealish spun away from his man, advanced and fed Kane.
The skipper angled a pass to Lingard who picked out Grealish. The Villa man was tackled as he went to pull the trigger, but the loose ball fell to Saka for an angled finish with the keeper stranded.
Southgate soon made a quadruple substitution – three of them axed from his Euros squad, including debutant Ben Godfrey.
And Godfrey’s first touch in international football almost ended in a calamitous own goal – a dozy back pass rescued by a scurrying Pickford.
The Everton keeper tipped a powerful Marcel Sabitzer shot against the bar as England went into another shoddy spell.
Next, it was Brighton defender Ben White given a debut – replacing Grealish as Southgate went to a back five.
Sabitzer asked another save of Pickford, and, after Alexander-Arnold hobbled off, Michael Gregoritsch missed a close-range header and White made a goal-line clearance after a Pickford flap.
Victory, then, but little joy for England.
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