The major headline tonight was always going to be how Wayne Rooney coped with the revelation of his alleged illicit contact with ladies of the night. The truth was revealed, and the truth seems to be that Rooney is relieved. But that aside, Manchester City deserve a special mention for aiding England’s cause.
Capello’s men started brightly, using the customary English style of pressing and attacking through direct means. Wayne Rooney was vital to inducing this high-tempo performance, along with the notable contributions of full-backs Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole. Only woeful finishing got Switzerland off the hook on more than one occasion.
Jermain Defoe’s usual hesitancy and stark lack of footballing intelligence, if such a term exists, returned to cast doubt over the authenticity of his three-goal performance against Bulgaria on Friday. Glen Johnson and Theo Walcott combined to release the right-back, whose square ball found Defoe only for the Spurs striker to smash over from eight yards. Defoe, for me, is always a yard too quick or a yard too slow.
In possibly the tabloid press’ finest hour, Wayne Rooney broke the deadlock after more good work from Glen Johnson. 967 minutes were stopped dead as Rooney swept in a low cross from the Liverpool man to break the deadlock. The freedom afforded Rooney by the removal of a dark secret was simple to read. Rooney’s no stranger to abuse – the man demands more from himself than any England fan. It’s possible that the media has for once done him a favour by releasing him from the clutches of personal trauma, and it showed on his face.
Theo Walcott was injured into the build-up to the goal and was reportedly rushed to hospital for an X-ray. Brought on his place was Adam Johnson. That made the Manchester City contingent of England’s side five, with Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry and James Milner all on the field already. Barry did concede a free-kick which became England’s biggest cause for concern for the first half, but the cross found Young Boys’ David Degen, who shinned it woefully over the bar at the far post.
Whilst Alexander Frei, for all of the hyperbole, was utterly rubbish, one Swiss that did impress was Diego Benaglio. The ‘keeper made two decent saves, one each side of half time, to deny Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson respectively. His opposite number, Joe Hart, was naturally in fine form. The continued graduation to international class becomes ever more impressive. Seemingly unflappable, Hart makes solid stops, good decisions and distributes well.
Stephan Lichsteiner was dismissed on 64 minutes for a second bookable offence, and five minutes later Adam Johnson scored after being put through by Steven Gerrard. Whilst I find an enormous irony to England’s only left-footed winger being better deployed on the right, he provides an interesting contrast to Theo Walcott. For Walcott’s directness and pace, Johnson is methodical, technically gifted and most of all, observant. Walcott’s three weird chipped crosses against Bulgaria, for example, would not be perpetrated by Adam Johnson. He deserved his goal.
On 70 minutes though, Hart was beaten by an absolute screamer from Shaqiri after Switzerland had been galvanised by the goal and being to down to ten men. The net scarcely rippled, such was the force of the shot that whistled in from outside the area. The former Shrewsbury Town man Hart could have done little about that one. Whilst Lescott, Hart and Barry were solid, Milner and Johnson were proving influential in the final third. City’s contingent was then again boosted by the introduction of Shaun Wright-Phillips, making it six City players to have appeared for England in that game.
By roughly the 79th minute the game had begun to fade away, but it didn’t stop Ashley Cole from feeding Darren Bent for the Sunderland man to finish with aplomb, making it 3-1. In my opinion, Bent deserves it for the work he puts in. Whilst he has never looked an international striker to me, there may be some fight in the lad to prove his doubters (me obviously included) wrong.
Ultimately, a 3-1 victory for England owes much to Manchester City’s investment in players that, when purchased, were not England regulars but have developed to become vital for club and country. They, in turn, have Aston Villa to thank for Gareth Barry and James Milner, but there seems to be something of a buzz about Eastlands these days and it showed in those that pulled on an England shirt. Perhaps some thanks ought to go out too to the tabloid press for releasing Wayne Rooney from his demons. The manacles are off, and it shows.
