Jordan Henderson impressed while Wayne Rooney did not as Gareth Southgate got his reign in charge of England off to a solid start.
Gareth Southgate got his interim spell in charge off to a winning start as England strolled past Malta 2-0.
Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli made it two wins in their opening two qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, but an underwhelming second half and a lack of energy means not everyone is ready to fall back in love with the Three Lions again.
Despite creating more than enough chances, the hosts found goalkeeper Andrew Hogg in fine form, making a string of saves to irritate England.
With Harry Kane injured, Sturridge stepped up and scored the first goal under Southgate’s reign with a brilliant header, before Alli at the second attempt prodded home to double the advantage.
As first auditions go, it was a simple evening for Southgate who knows a 100% win rate coupled with good performances will make it hard for the FA to turn him away from the position permanently.
Yet he will be concerned with England’s lack of cutting edge and the continued conundrum of Wayne Rooney, who once again failed to impress as he battles to keep his place ahead of Tuesday’s match with Slovenia.
Here are the player ratings from an easy evening at Wembley Stadium.
Joe Hart – 6 – Barely a few touches in his box and that’s about it for the Torino loanee. Had to be alert to get down to his near post to stop Malta profiting from a free kick near the end of the match, but he will hope for more of the same on Tuesday.
Kyle Walker – 6 – Always showed a willingness to get forward, playing more as a right winger than defender as was Malta’s offensive uselessness. His final ball has improved greatly, but it was not quite up to scratch here even though the Tottenham full-back was always open and untroubled defensively.
John Stones – 6 – Showed up centre-back partner Gary Cahill, but not by much. The Manchester City youngster had a comfortable evening without having to deal with very much and is always handy with the ball at his feet.
Gary Cahill – 6 – Firm when he needed to be, but did not always look steady at the back which is very worrying against Malta, especially when Michael Mifsud came on. His best days are truly behind him and it will not be long until Chris Smalling or even Michael Keane comes in to replace him.
Ryan Bertrand – N/A – Handed a surprise start ahead of Danny Rose, but the Southampton man only lasted 20 minutes before succumbing to a hamstring injury.
Jordan Henderson – 8 – One of the most resurgent Liverpool stars this season and Henderson continued his fine run of form with a controlled and disciplined display and two assists. Comfortable and happy in possession, it was his excellent cross beautifully headed home by club-mate Daniel Sturridge, before bursting forward and playing in Dele Alli to make it 2-0.
Wayne Rooney – 5 – On a night where the youngsters took control, the skipper stood out like a sore thumb in a deeper role. Kept the ball moving without ever penetrating the Maltese defence and aside from a few wayward shots had another forgettable evening. With Alli ahead of him, Rooney does not look effective in midfield but does look like a spent force.
Dele Alli – 7 – Did not have much luck going forward until Henderson picked him out, but the Tottenham midfielder took his goal well and was constantly buzzing throughout the match. Will be disappointed not to have threatened Malta more especially missing a sitter in the second half from a few yards out, but he has started to recapture his form from last season.
Theo Walcott – 5 – Spoke beforehand of the need to get nasty, but the Arsenal winger lacked bite on an evening where he was shown up by debutant Jesse Lingard. Just cannot seem to transfer his club form to the international stage on a regular basis and apart from some purposeful runs, could not fashion a chance. Subbed with 20 minutes to go and his place is under threat again.
Daniel Sturridge – 7 – Has not had much luck in a Liverpool shirt this season, but took his goal extremely well and always drove at Malta with intent. At times selfish, but also hard-working, staying close to the wings to offer an outlet and in Harry Kane’s absence showed he was the main man England could count on.
Jesse Lingard – 7 – No doubt the biggest surprise in Gareth Southgate’s squad was Lingard earning himself a start. But the Manchester United winger forced a great stop from Andrew Hogg in the first half and his movement was a constant pain for Malta to deal with. Bright and creative, he may have earned himself a second start against Slovenia.
Substitutes
Danny Rose – 6 – Was maybe surprised to be starting on the bench, but it did not take long for Rose to make an appearance due to Bertand’s injury. Much like Walker, spent more time in Malta’s half than his own, but his final delivery was not always great which is a major hindrance in his game.
Marcus Rashford – 6 – Came on for Walcott and immediately looked dangerous despite being deployed out wide. The Manchester United forward should have got an assist had Alli not blasted over from inside the penalty area, but he was exciting, direct, unafraid to take on players and everything Walcott was not. May be in line for a start against Slovenia and rightly so.
Jamie Vardy – N/A – Came on for Sturridge but did not have long to make any impact as the game passed him by. It has not quite gone to plan for the Leicester City striker for both club and personally and with Sturridge impressing from the off, he is likely to sit out Slovenia for the start too.
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