England’s Daniel Sturridge and Jamie Vardy are not clicking and should not start together in the knockout stages
The pair did not work against the Slovaks, which meant the Three Lions finished second behind Wales in Group B
THEY are England’s odd couple.
Roy Hodgson must decide whether to stick with Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge in Nice next Monday — but the answer has to be a resounding NO.
The pair were thrown together to start in Saint-Etienne last night after just 58 minutes against Holland in March and the second half recovery versus Wales.
It did not work against the Slovaks, which meant the Three Lions finished second behind Wales.
Boss Hodgson remains unsure of how to set this team up offensively, despite qualifying with three games to go. And despite seven friendlies and two matches at Euro 2016.
The decision to make SIX changes was a gamble. Move over Claudio Ranieri. The new tinkerman in town is now Hodgson.
In Vardy and Sturridge, there will not be two more players in the tournament whose careers have been more contrasting.
One who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, in terms of natural footballing ability. The other once played for Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Just four years ago at Euro 2012, Sturridge had just completed a season scoring 13 times for Chelsea while Vardy had sealed a move to Leicester from Fleetwood in the Blue Square Premier Division.
A movie is being made about Jamie Vardy and his unbelievable rise, which now includes a Premier League winner’s medal.
turridge needs to ensure that his movie, however unlikely, would not be called The Wasted Talent.
Sadly, Vardy and Sturridge do not appear a natural match and there is certainly no more time for experimenting in the next stages.
Kane, despite looking jaded in the first two matches, has to return and he put himself in some dangerous positions at the end.
Vardy did well in the first half. He had more space to exploit behind the Slovakian back-four compared to the Welsh game.
His first opening last night came, at speed, from a cross from Nathaniel Clyne that he could only steer the over with his thigh.
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It was a difficult chance but the fact he was still able to show quick reactions — like his stunning flick against Germany in Berlin — proved he is a fox in the box.
Vardy then created an opening for Sturridge, who was denied by a tackle from Peter Pekarik.
In a move straight from the Leicester training ground, Jordan Henderson then played the part of Danny Drinkwater with a long ball for Vardy to chase.
He had too much pace for Martin Skrtel, but Matus Kozacik displayed good reactions in the goal to deny him.
Vardy continued to provide a threat, forcing a foul from Viktor Pecovsky which earned him a deserved caution from Spanish ref Carlos Velasco Carballo.
Sturridge started to see more of the ball as he dropped deeper.
He was flashy, sometimes effective, sometimes trying a bit too hard. You had to wonder if he was on some sort of step-over bonus.
At the start of the second half, Sturridge played a well-weighted ball into a dangerous position for Clyne, but his effort was saved.
There were also a few frustrating flicks and tricks.
Vardy, though, had now become anonymous.
Sturridge had one glorious chance to be England’s hero in the 74th minute — but from close range he just failed to connect to a ball over the top from Eric Dier.
It summed up his evening and little more than 60 seconds later, he was put out of his misery and replaced by Hodgson.
Ultimately, the Slovak defence held firm.
Hodgson has now managed just THREE tournament wins from TEN matches, which is not good enough.
Whoever England face in the last 16 is unlikely to be quaking in their boots at out attacking talent.
Hodgson will point to the fact his team remain unbeaten. Maybe the biggest surprise of the night was this team actually managed to keep a clean sheet.
Nevertheless, Hodgson has left us all a bit dazed and confused.
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