Impotent and vulnerable, England do NOT look ready for the Euros… their morale-sapping defeat by Iceland was not a false result, writes OLIVER HOLT
It was quite a climb to the top tier of the Allianz Riviera Stadium. The first thing that attracted attention eight years ago was the sight of the pastel hills of the Cote d’Azur rising into a sky of brilliant blue above the stand opposite.
The second thing was the sound. It was new to some of us. The slow, rhythmic clap coming from the large group of Iceland fans already inside gradually became faster and faster and louder and louder until it reached a crescendo and finally died away.
It quickly became the soundtrack for one England humiliation. That day in June 2016, which ended with a 2-1 defeat for England in Nice in the second round of the 2016 European Championships, was one of the low points in the history of our game. Some compared it to the defeat to the US in Belo Horizonte at the 1950 World Cup.
Eight years later, all those bad memories, all those uncomfortable associations came back.
Eight years ago, Iceland sent England home from a tournament with their faces red with embarrassment. This time, as they inflicted another morale-sapping defeat on the team bookmakers say are favorites to win in Germany, they ensured England would leave for the start of a tournament red-faced with embarrassment.
England suffered a 1-0 defeat to Iceland next week in the final warm-up for the 2024 European Championship
Gareth Southgate’s side failed to break down the well-disciplined visitors at Wembley
The defeat brought back painful memories of the meeting between the two teams at the European Championships in 2016
England’s opening match of these European Championships is just nine days away, but based on this performance it is a shame that England cannot request a postponement. They don’t look ready.
This was a grim evening at Wembley, a night when much of the optimism generated by Southgate’s selection of a smart, daring side packed with brilliant and exciting young attacking talent disappeared into the London sky with this 1-0 deficit.
This was a night decided by a Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson goal in the first half, when what should have been a raucous farewell for the side turned into a rather sobering reality check for England’s hopes of winning the European Championships in Germany.
It was a night when the home fans streamed to the exit ten minutes before the end, leaving behind a row of empty red seats. It was a night when this team came up empty of all offensive talent. It was a match that was accompanied by mutterings at the end.
And it was a night when all fears about England’s threadbare defense turned into a dispiriting reality. Iceland are ranked 72nd in the world, but there were moments here when they tormented England with their superior passing and composure.
This was not a false result. England looked powerless going forward and vulnerable at the back. Most disturbing of all, they looked like strangers. They looked like players who just learned each other’s names, not players ready to compete.
There are a few consolations. The first is that Jude Bellingham didn’t play. He is still recovering from a long season at Real Madrid, culminating in winning the Champions League last weekend. England will be better with him.
The second consolation, of course, is that this was a friendly match. It was an adjustment. It wasn’t like that match in Nice, which meant an end. It would be reassuring to say that we should not attach too much importance to this, but that the problems at the rear in particular will not disappear.
England have improved beyond recognition since that night in Nice, but it didn’t feel that way here. They looked dying and had no ideas for the future. They looked tired. They didn’t look good.
Despite their attacking problems, this is a team full of goals. The fear is that once the defense takes on Germany’s leading parties, it could also be full of holes.
With that in mind, England suffered a huge shock in the opening minute when Stones fell awkwardly and Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson landed on the back of his leg. Stones has suffered a series of injuries this season and has been sidelined for a while. He could move on, but he didn’t seem to be moving freely.
Former Fulham youngster Jon Thorsteinsson found space to get a shot away in the first half
The attacker drove his shot towards the near post, giving Iceland an unlikely lead after twelve minutes
Aaron Ramsdale was visibly frustrated after the opening goal at Wembley
England’s discomfort increased after twelve minutes. Iceland played the ball out of defense and defeated the English press with embarrassing ease. Mainoo was caught too far forward and when the ball was played wide of Thorsteinsson he cut inside Stones and beat Aaron Ramsdale at his near post.
The stadium fell silent. England tried to find some rhythm and urgency and Rice pressured goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson to shoot a ball straight to Palmer, who took the ball on his chest and punched it towards goal, but the ball was blocked by Daniel Gretarsson.
The atmosphere in Wembley was funereal, enlivened only by the occasional cheer for the flight of a paper airplane. England’s powerlessness and the ease with which Iceland could expose them to danger were sobering.
However, England remained patient and should have equalized just before the half hour mark. Palmer was the favorite of the England players and he curled a beautiful, subtle cross into the penalty area, leaving Harry Kane unmarked a few yards away. The crowd was already celebrating, but Kane lifted his volley over the bar. Nothing went right.
The rest of the half settled into a turgid, exhausting, hushed stalemate. It only came to an end a minute before the break when Iceland almost took the lead. England allowed their opponents to cut the ball back from the goal line to Arnor Traustason and only an excellent block from Guehi stopped the visitors from doubling their lead.
When the half-time whistle blew, there was a bit of bored boos.
Concerns over Stones’ fitness increased when he failed to appear in the second half and was replaced at centre-back by Ezri Konsa. But England at least posed a rare moment of threat as Phil Foden and Gordon exchanged passes and Foden pulled an elegant shot just ahead. wide.
Palmer again showed his speed of thinking and sublime technique as he beat a defender with a ball from Kane which the England captain clipped towards him with the outside of his right foot. Palmer tried to squeeze his shot inside the near post, but it found the side netting.
Palmer should have scored a few minutes later when a clever ball from Rice played him past the goalkeeper. Unusually, Palmer hesitated and instead of shooting he tried to take the ball around Valdimarsson again and Valdimarsson stayed on his feet, forcing Palmer wide and blocking his shot.
But better chances were for Iceland. Thorsteinsson should have scored when the ball was turned towards him with only Ramsdale to beat, but he lost his footing as he was about to make contact with the ball and the ball went harmlessly wide.
A returning Anthony Gordon was one of the few positives for England in the first half
But the replacement of John Stones due to injury only added to the discomfort ahead of the 2024 European Championship
The hosts were wasteful on the rare occasions they were able to create real chances
Thorsteinsson almost doubled Iceland’s lead after the break but slipped as he met the ball
A few minutes later, central defender Sverrir Ingason lost his marker far too easily on an Iceland corner and ran to the back post. He met the ball well and headed it down, but Ramsdale smothered it with his feet. It was a huge escape for Southgate’s side.
The England boss made a series of substitutions and Trent Alexander-Arnold came on at right-back and made an immediate impact, curling a delightful ball over the Iceland defense for Ivan Toney to run into. Toney was challenged as he tried to reach it, but the referee allowed play to continue.
England had half-chances towards the end, but nothing more. It was a friendly one. It doesn’t have to be a major setback, but it indicated a host of concerns underlying it.
