A look at five lessons learned from England’s comfortable 4-0 win over Lithuania on Friday night, with Harry Kane understandably one of the main talking points…
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1) Kane is the real deal
A goal on his debut, Harry Kane lived up to the hype with an instant impact for England as he scored a fine header with just his second touch of the ball, having been on the pitch for less than two minutes. After such a superb season for Tottenham Hotspur, the 21-year-old now looks a shoe-in for future England squads and is genuinely one of the most exciting young talents to rise in this country since Wayne Rooney become a regular for the Three Lions as a teenager.
2) Welbeck looked good out wide
A player who seemed to struggle when playing out wide at previous club Manchester United, Danny Welbeck actually showed great ability in this role last night, following on from another fine performance in that position in Arsenal’s recent win over AS Monaco. Athough it is yet to be tested against superior opposition, no disrespect to Lithuania, it seems an idea worth trying for England and Roy Hodgson.
3) Solid midfield can usher in new era
Playing in a solid 4-3-3, the midfield trio of Michael Carrick, Fabian Delph and Jordan Henderson looks to have real potential and should be used again in the friendly against Italy on Tuesday. For once, with no real superstars like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to select in that position, England have almost been forced to go with a more sensible formation that might actually work better against high-quality opposition. Carrick’s experience and the work rate of players like Henderson and Delph can really stifle the creativity of a team like Italy, and it will be interesting to see if this can be a new era for England in a less fashionable, but more solid midfield.
4) Formation suits attackers
England’s 4-3-3 also seemed to suit the attacking players perfectly well, with both Welbeck, as already mentioned, and Raheem Sterling shining in advanced wide roles. The Liverpool youngster has been used in various positions at club level this season, but looked very much at home with a freer role on the left, scoring one and setting up another in a highly impressive night for him. With players like Theo Walcott also well suited to this wide forward role, it looks like Hodgson has found an attacking setup to get the best out of the players he has available to him.
5) Rooney to make history
Another goal for England, making it 47 in total, it looks like Wayne Rooney will have little trouble breaking Bobby Charlton’s long-standing record as top scorer for the Three Lions. The Manchester United captain needs just three more strikes now for his country to overtake Charlton, and it looks increasingly like it could happen soon as Rooney continues to look a threat every time he plays for England at the moment.