Attacking England turn up for fun, feisty friendly
England 1 Carroll 43
Ghana 1 Gyan 90
After the damp, all-too-easy squib of a victory over Wales at the weekend, an unfamiliar England team gave an improved, impressive display against a fired-up Ghana team at Wembley.
In a reprised 4-3-3 (or 4-5-1 depending on the relative full or emptiness of your glass) England looked as fluid and sure-footed as they have appeared for some time in the first half.
On the front foot from the kick off a young England team seemed uncommonly comfortable on the ball, shifting passes with freedom and confidence. England's movement was good in this period, with runners breaking to support the lone front man Andy Carroll, and ample support and extra width from the full backs. Glen Johnson, always so much better going forward than running back towards his own goal, was particularly good, threatening the Ghanaians right up until his final ball.
Ashley Young and Stewart Downing were effective on the wings, each coming inside onto his stronger foot to create shooting opportunities, albeit from long range.
With a genuine aerial presence in Carroll to aim for it would have been nice to see a few more early balls swung in from wide areas, but this was always unlikely to happen with the wide-men playing in their inverted positions.
Downing highlighted the problems inherent to this system when duffing a right footed shot when clean through on goal, and again when attempting a weak cross with the outside of his left foot. Chris Waddle, he is not.
With Young, who seemed to have more licence to roam than Downing, invariably checking back onto his right foot when up against his full back, Carroll was largely deprived of the sort of good service on which he thrives.
No system is without its deficiencies of course, and this novel England formation did mostly work. England reaped the dividends of their newfound flexibility when the impressive Young picked the ball up in the midfield and clipped a delightful ball into his Aston Villa clubmate Downing, who was making a sharp run across the Ghana backline. Downing took a bobbly first touch, but the ball broke kindly to Carroll who dispatched it impressively to register his first international goal.
- Andy Carroll celebrates his 1st England goal
Former England international and current MOTD sofa jockey Alan Shearer has been banging the drum for his fellow native Geordie Andy Carroll of late, and the £35 million new arrival at Anfield justified his advocacy with a powerful, uncomplicated strike that will have put many in mind of Shearer at his best and most ruthless. Carroll, substituted on the hour, looked a bit short of match practice, but his physicality and surprisingly good movement was encouraging and he once again looked good in an England shirt.
Carroll's goal followed a fine move, with Young the ultimate provider. Young followed his Man of the Match performance against Wales with an incisive display. He is so willing to let fly with an audacious shot or try a killer through ball that he can frustrate, surrendering hard earned possession, but he was dangerous throughout tonight and gave England the spark and edge that they often lack.
Where Young can be less than frugal with the ball, Jack Wilshere set the possession preserving tone for England in the first half.
Arsenal starlet Wilshere was not the headline maker aginst Ghana, but he was at the heart of much of England's good work, ticking passes around metronomically and popping up all over the pitch like some peculiar left-footed vampire (he does look a bit like Butch from The Munsters).
Quietly imposing, Wilshere played with his head up, carrying the ball when no pass was on and exhibiting upper body strength belying his tender years and diminuitive frame. The young Gunner also showed a willingness to get around the ball and get stuck in; he really looks an excellent prospect.
- Asamoah Gyan fires the Ghana equaliser
England made second half substitutions and lost their way a bit, falling back into bad habits and generally taking their foot off the gas. They ultimately surrendered their lead to a terrific, and much deserved, late strike from Sunderland Asamoah Gyan, with Joleon Lescott taking a defensive pratfall in the face of the Ghanaian striker's twinkling feet. Lescott appeared as bemused at Gyan's trickery as the watching England fans were at Lescott's unexpected, and entirely unwarranted appearance on the pitch.
Lescott's ineffectual shambling undid a reasonable defensive display from an inexperienced backline. Gary Cahill gave a particularly pleasing turn, strong and dominant in the air, and Phil Jagielka used the ball well until he was moved uncomfortably to right full back.
The defence looked short of pace, but they were facing a stern test from a pacy, aggressive Ghana side epitomised by the talent and workrate of their national talisman Gyan, and acquitted themselves quite well.
A huge, noisy Ghanaian contingent, instrumental in making this friendly such a fine, fun spectacle, cheered Gyan's equaliser as though it was a cup final winner. England will have been unhappy to give up their lead so late in the game, but there will have been much to please Fabio Capello and the (much quieter) England fans gathered at Wembley.
