England have endured the primary hiccup of Lee Carsley’s stint in interim cost.
Greece, positioned 44 locations under their hosts in FIFA’s rankings, secured their first ever win over the English after Vangelis Pavlidis’s objective in added time on this Nations League group recreation ensured it ended a becoming tribute to the Greece worldwide George Baldock, who handed away earlier this week.
For Carsley, there was lots to ponder. The pinnacle coach had briefly seen Jude Bellingham — who else? — haul the house facet degree, however even a draw would have felt fortuitous on an evening when the house facet’s tactical tweaks did not repay and their efficiency was horribly disjointed for lengthy durations.
The interim had used the absence of Harry Kane as a chance to experiment with an attack-minded lineup and Bellingham nominally as a false No 9, however his workforce have been imbalanced and created little. Certainly, it was the guests who created the sport’s clearer alternatives all through and at all times posed a risk on the counter. Apart from Pavlidis’ opening objective, the primary ever scored by Greece at Wembley, they’d three others dominated out for offside earlier than the striker conjured his winner.
There was a fragility to England all night. Levi Colwill did splendidly nicely to clear a first-half effort from Tasos Bakasetas off the goal-line after Jordan Pickford’s error, whereas captain John Stones additionally summoned a block to disclaim Bakasetas. But the Greeks lastly led early within the second half. With England panicked, Pavlidis wriggled away from Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Stones and Declan Rice to fizz a low shot into the online.
Palmer and Anthony Gordon spurned the hosts’ clearest possibilities however, even with pure strikers launched, they provided little till Bellingham’s emphatic late strike. But even that proved a mirage.
Jack Pitt-Brooke, Tim Spiers and Anantaajith Raghuraman dissect the primary speaking factors at Wembley.
What did Carsley be taught?
This was Carsley’s third recreation in control of England, his first defeat, and he could have discovered some painful classes from it.
With no Kane, quite than selecting a standard substitute, Carsley went for a radical strikerless system with Bellingham up entrance. It was courageous however it didn’t work and now he’ll face the very English accusation that he tried to be “too intelligent”. Solely when Ollie Watkins got here on did England have any type of typical risk.
England interim supervisor on the touchline (Michael Regan – The FA/The FA through Getty Photographs)
Carsley additionally disbursed with a midfielder to take a seat alongside Rice, preferring to pack the workforce with artistic expertise; one other daring name, however one which allowed Greece to counter straight by way of England each single time.
On one other day England would have conceded 4 or 5 objectives.
There was benefit to Carsley’s experimentation, even when tonight offered no resolution to the issue of becoming in all his artistic gamers. However he may also know that each England supervisor is judged on outcomes, quite than thought processes. And Carsley will really feel the sting of that on Friday morning.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
Did the preliminary formation work?
Briefly, no.
Carsley’s choice was daring and sure happy followers who’ve lengthy referred to as for England to showcase all of their artistic expertise. Nevertheless, it got here at the price of stability with too many gamers occupying related areas of the pitch.
Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden have been hardly concerned in any respect, whereas Bellingham popped up in several positions with out actually impacting the play barring a terrific swivel-and-pass for Palmer, who skied the prospect over the bar. The Chelsea ahead confirmed glimpses of his Chelsea self with some neat touches and lay-offs, however no actual objective risk.
The usage of Bellingham as a false No 9 didn’t work (Rob Newell – CameraSport through Getty Photographs)
Gordon was arguably essentially the most impactful of the forwards, heading over from England’s subsequent greatest likelihood of the half following an Alexander-Arnold cross-field cross and slipping Bellingham in throughout the build-up to Palmer’s likelihood. Nevertheless, on multiple event, he turned again with the ball as an alternative of taking his man on because of the absence of males within the field and Greece’s organisational self-discipline.
Alexander-Arnold and left-back Rico Lewis have been England’s most spectacular gamers going ahead within the first half and their greatest avenue for possibilities appeared to be balls excessive.
When Greece performed by way of England’s press, in addition they had loads of area in midfield forward of an unconvincing again line, leading to good possibilities that weren’t taken till Pavlidis’ second-half strike.
Carsley’s response was to deliver on Watkins for Gordon across the hour mark…
Anantaajith Raghuraman
And what in regards to the rejig?
Watkins’ arrival, together with Madueke for the injured Bukayo Saka, noticed England shift to a 4-3-3, with Bellingham and Foden working behind the trio and Palmer shifting to the correct wing. Watkins virtually had a right away say on proceedings after being discovered by Palmer, however his shot flew simply over the bar.
England’s shape-shifting was adopted by a interval of Greek dominance as possibilities flowed for the guests with the hosts creating nothing of observe aside from just a few deflected crosses and cleared corners. A second roll of the cube from Carsley adopted as Dominic Solanke changed Foden, which noticed England successfully transfer to a 4-4-2, having began with their most artistic formation in years.
The gaps in midfield remained, although, with Greece breaking ahead at tempo to ship Christos Tzolis by way of on objective twice solely to be stopped first by the offside flag (following an off-target chip) after which by a recovering Colwill. England’s toothlessness in assault solely appeared to be bettered by its porous defence within the 83rd minute when Pavlidis transformed from a cutback following an interception of Pickford’s poor throw upfield, however the objective was dominated out for offside.
After which, the unlikely England objective arrived.
A neat passing transfer noticed England slip Solanke in behind the Greek defence on the correct and whereas his cutback initially missed all of the England gamers within the field, Bellingham arrived late to attain with a curled effort that discovered the online through Odysseas Vlachodimos’ outstretched hand. It amounted to nothing, nonetheless, as extra defensive indecision within the field allowed Pavlidis to attain on the flip.
General, the adjustments flattered to deceive initially however Watkins drew defenders in direction of him whereas Solanke grabbed an help. The modified construction additionally provided minimal midfield safety, nonetheless, and England’s defence didn’t cowl itself in glory both.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Was Jordan Pickford having one in all thesenights?
Greece had attacking intentions and induced England quite a few issues, however a greater facet would have punished England even earlier for some inept early defending, not least from Pickford who took depart of his senses throughout two mad first-half minutes.
A reasonably innocuous ball excessive which Stones in all probability had beneath management was met as an alternative by a rampaging Pickford, who then utterly froze 25 yards from his personal objective and clanged the ball straight to Bakasetas. His goalbound shot was magnificently and acrobatically cleared off the road by Colwill.
Bakasetas chips Pickford just for Colwill to spare the goalkeeper’s blushes (Robin Jones/Getty Photographs)
From the ensuing nook Pickford haplessly flailed on the aerial ball and West Ham’s Konstantinos Mavropanos headed into an empty web, earlier than being flagged offside. Pickford has seldom let England down of late, however this was him at his erratic worst.
England’s defending was usually pretty ropey. It was a numbers recreation if something — they stacked the facet with extra No 10s than an Italian mannequin company and at any time when Greece ventured ahead with 4 or 5 attackers they’d area to use.
There was no subject with the variety of gamers again for Greece’s objective, however Alexander-Arnold, Stones and Palmer didn’t fancy trying to problem Pavlidis whose shot flew by way of Colwill’s legs. You would argue Pickford may need saved that, too.
There have been quite a few let-offs after Greece’s opening objective, too, with two extra objectives dominated out for offside, the latter coming from a Pickford throw to Palmer which was intercepted earlier than they swarmed into the field and Pavlidis beat Pickford once more. It was indicative of a haphazard defensive show — one of many ugliest England have produced at Wembley in recent times.
England saved the worst till final. Greece’s 93rd minute winner was buffoonery personified, with a number of gamers failing to clear the ball, not least Lewis who stood nonetheless with the ball at his ft in his personal field after Colwill had let the ball bounce off him, then each gamers fell over as Pavlidis struck. It was virtually comical and VAR couldn’t save them this time.
Tim Spiers
What occurred to Bukayo Saka?
Arsenal followers will as soon as once more be bemoaning worldwide breaks. The Gunners misplaced Martin Odegaard to harm when the midfielder was taking part in for Norway final month and, right here, Buyako Saka worryingly limped off early within the second half.
Saka appeared to get his ankle caught when monitoring again at one level within the first half. Then, early within the second, he limped away after an England assault broke down, then sat on the turf after Greece’s objective, clearly unable to proceed.
He hobbled off gingerly to get replaced by Noni Madueke and there’ll now be a nervy wait to find the extent of the issue.
A disconsolate Saka is consoled by Gordon (Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA through Getty Photographs)
Lee Carsley will hope it’s nothing critical and that Saka is obtainable for Sunday’s journey to Finland, whereas Arsenal play Bournemouth subsequent weekend however, extra importantly, have a top-of-the-table conflict with Liverpool on the horizon on the finish of October.
Saka’s harm might also reopen the talk about participant welfare on the prime degree for a participant who has already made 236 membership appearances and earned 43 England caps by the age of 23.
Tim Spiers
How was the passing of George Baldock marked?
There was a sombre second simply earlier than kick off as each groups — and the entire stadium — paid tribute to Greece worldwide George Baldock, who handed away this week on the age of 31.
The away workforce emerged with a white Greece house shirt sporting ‘BALDOCK 2’ on the again with which they posed collectively, remembering their former team-mate. Baldock, who was born in England however certified for Greece by way of his grandmother, was capped 12 instances. The final of these appearances got here in March within the playoff defeat to Georgia that denied the Greeks passage to Euro 2024.
The Greece workforce maintain Baldock’s shirt previous to kick off (Glyn Kirk/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Then, with the stadium’s massive screens exhibiting a photograph of Baldock, the England gamers applauded on the sting of the centre circle whereas the Greece workforce stood arm-in-arm. Following bulletins in English and in Greek, the entire stadium then held nonetheless in silence — a minute’s respect that was completely noticed by everybody right here.
There was even a Greece flag with a Sheffield United badge held up amongst the England followers, one in all many excellent tributes paid to the previous MK Dons, Sheffield United and Panathinaikos defender.
Wembley pays tribute to Baldock (Michael Regan – The FA/The FA through Getty Photographs)
These continued throughout the recreation itself, with Pavlidis holding up a black armband as he celebrated giving the guests their second-half lead. His team-mates gathered to raise the identical ‘BALDOCK 2’ shirt to the heavens, guaranteeing the full-back wouldn’t be forgotten.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
GO DEEPER
George Baldock – the Metal Metropolis’s adopted son – epitomised the Sheffield United fairytale
What did Lee Carsley say?
We are going to deliver you the England interim supervisor’s evaluation after he has spoken on the post-match press convention.
What subsequent for England?
Sunday, October 13: Finland (A), Nations League, 5pm BST, 12pm ET
England journey to Helsinki having overwhelmed Markku Kanerva’s facet 2-0 at Wembley final month. Kane marked his a hundredth cap that night time with a brace, taking his objective tally for his nation to 68.
Really helpful studying
(High photograph: GLYN KIRK/AFP through Getty Photographs)
