England 2 Nigeria 1: Three Lions edge out Super Eagles in World Cup warm-up clash at Wembley
Gary Cahill and Harry Kane put Gareth Southgate's side two goals up in the first half, before Alex Iwobi pulled a goal back after the break
WELL, Harry Kane scores goals, Dele Alli can pick a pass, Raheem Sterling causes controversy and England panic if you get at them.
Tell us something we didn’t already know.
As Gareth Southgate’s men bade farewell to their home stadium and thoughts turn towards Russia, this was a performance which served only to keep the nation on an even keel.
Nobody expects the Earth from this lot at the World Cup, yet no one expects them to stink the place out at a major tournament for once — and that, at least, is a welcome change.
Captain Kane netted an eighth goal in seven games under Southgate and equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 25 goals at Wembley — although the Spurs striker has the distinct advantage of having played an entire season at home here at club level for Tottenham.
Kane, wearing the Three Lions for the first time since he was confirmed as World Cup skipper, was mercifully sharp given how burnt out he looked at Euro 2016. After Gary Cahill headed the seventh-minute opener, Kane profited from a goalkeeping blunder by Francis Uzoho to score what turned out to be the winner.
But once the visiting Super Eagles had awoken from their 45-minuteslumber, England were rocked back on their heels early in the second half.
First half good, second half not so good, as Sven-Goran Eriksson often said.
And let’s face it, if this inexperienced squad reach the quarter-finals as the Swede’s starrier teams used to do, then they will arrive home in July with a job well done.
A win is a win and another one against Tunisia in the World Cup opener in Volgograd in 15 days’ time will leave England on the brink of the last 16.
Yet Southgate will be worried about his back three looking so flustered when Nigeria got on the front foot.
He should be concerned at how easy it is for opponents to play their way around Eric Dier as the one holding player he intends to play against Tunisia.
Jordan Henderson, rested after his Champions League exertions with Liverpool, will fancy his chances of claiming that role against Costa Rica in England’s final warm-up match in Leeds on Thursday.
There were things to enjoy here, especially in the first half.
Kieran Trippier’s bombing runs and whipped crosses from the right are a potent weapon.
Dele’s vision is capable of unlocking better defences than Nigeria’s.
And Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the best of England’s subs, looks irresistible when he rumbles forward with his intoxicating cocktail of speed, skill and strength.
England may not be good enough to leave out the 22-year-old Chelsea midfielder — despite his greenness — and it would be good to see him start at Elland Road. He has the ‘wow factor’, that something extra capable of surprising even world-class opposition.
Jesse Lingard was lively enough again and he is a favourite of manager Southgate but Loftus-Cheek will be a strong Plan B at the very least.
But then there is Sterling, who ended a week in which he has made too many negative headlines, by being correctly booked for diving.
It seems impossible to hold a balanced opinion about the Manchester City man but here’s a try.
Sterling is an exciting talent but, in an England shirt, he is rarely ruthless enough.
He’s a likeable lad but, far too often, he acts daft.
His assault-rifle tattoo was odd but drawings have never hurt anyone.
Being a day late for England’s training camp was bad but it was not sackable.
Hopefully, it will be all about Sterling’s positives in Russia but even when he needed to keep his nose clean yesterday, he couldn’t manage it. No matter, a man who played such a key role in Manchester City’s astonishing Premier League campaign, must start against Tunisia.
The first 45 minutes could barely have been more positive for Southgate – albeit against a Nigerian side who were looking flaccid and ineffectual.
Trippier, whose rampages down the right did for Real Madrid here earlier this season, played a dual role in the opening goal.
First his curling free-kick was pushed away by Uzoho and then he delivered from the corner from which Cahill slipped between two defenders and netted with a powerful, precise header.
The Chelsea man looked to have been out of Southgate’s plans when he was axed from in March, yet now he is pressing his case to start against Tunisia, in front of Harry Maguire, rested here with a minor injury.
Alli, left on the bench against Holland and Italy, was another to seize a comeback chance.
He conjured the sweetest of passes to pick out Sterling, who beat his man but dinked wide of the far post. Soon after he teed up Sterling again – this time the shot was narrowly over.
At times England were passing from back to front with rare speed and fluency.
And when Kane’s shot went straight through Uzoho, a 2-0 half-time lead was no more than they deserved.
Then the backlash as Nigeria made five substitutions and instantly looked a completely different side, rather than a half-different one.
Odion Ighalo held off Kyle Walker, twisted and shot off the post, Alex Iwobi reacting quicker than any of England’s defenders
Sterling’s booking just a few minutes later added to the bleaker picture but Loftus-Cheek arrived to add a few promising moments.
All in all, this was not the most instructive school day for Southgate.
England should beat the weaker teams and lose to the better ones in Russia.
But then we already knew that too.
