England 1 Switzerland 0: Marcus Rashford will be a ‘top player’ says Gareth Southgate
Man Utd striker scores the winner as England recover from ‘embarrassing’ first-half display in Leicester
England 1 Switzerland 0
England have avoided a fourth successive defeat with a 1-0 win over Switzerland at the King Power Stadium last night, but Marcus Rashford’s goal was one of the few highlights of a forgettable occasion.
The excitement of the Three Lions’ run to the World Cup semi-finals was a distant memory in a friendly match that allowed England to at least put behind them defeats to Croatia, Belgium and Spain.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Gareth Southgate made nine changes to the starting XI that lost 2-1 to the Spanish on Saturday, with only Harry Maguire and Rashford retained.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the upheaval resulted in what Danny Rose described as an “embarrassing” first-half display, as the players struggled to find their rhythm.
Rashford on target
Switzerland were the superior side before the break, and Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri should have given them an early lead but his effort rattled the post.
“We could have been two or three-nil down at half-time,” admitted Rose, who was man of the match. “It’s great we can all shout at each other and tell each other to improve like we did.”
The home truths exchanged in the dressing room at half-time resulted in a far sharper England performance in the second-half. The winner came on 54 minutes when Rashford, who scored England’s goal against Spain, arrived at the far post to turn in Kyle Walker’s cross.
Exciting talent
The 20-year-old’s two goals will put pressure on the injured Raheem Sterling, who was preferred by Southgate in the World Cup starting line-up but is without an international goal in 26 matches.
“I’m really pleased for him,” said Southgate, when asked about the performance of Rashford. “We know how exciting he is and we know he is going to be a top player, he’s got a super mentality and he’s great to work with.”
A tall order
If the match confirmed what Southgate knows about Rashford, it also showed the England manager that there is clear daylight in the pecking order between Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland.
The latter kept a clean sheet against the Swiss but lacked the assurance of Pickford. The Everton keeper seems certain to come back for England’s next game, against Croatia on 12 October in the Uefa Nations League.
Overall, however, Southgate said he was pleased with a victory obtained in difficult circumstances. “So many of the lads were playing their first 45 minutes of the season,” he said. “It was a tall order to ask them to go in and play against a really good side in Switzerland, who are an excellent team.”
England’s 2018 fixtures
- 12 October: Uefa Nations League vs. Croatia (Stadion HNK Rijeka, Rijeka; 7.45pm)
- 15 October: Uefa Nations League vs. Spain (Estadio Benito de Villamarin, Sevilla; 7.45pm)
- 15 November: friendly vs. United States (Wembley, London; 8pm)
- 18 November: Uefa Nations League vs. Croatia (Wembley, London; 2pm)
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
6 presumed dead in Baltimore bridge collapse
Speed Read A massive cargo ship hit a support pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to crumple
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Best music albums: new releases of 2024
The Week Recommends A round-up of the best pop, dance, indie, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Senegal's Bassirou Diomaye Faye: from prison to Africa's youngest elected leader
Why everyone's talking about The 44-year-old has promised to shake up the establishment and enact economic reforms
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Lionesses will have regrets but their legacy can be ‘incredible’
feature England stars return home after heartbreaking Women’s World Cup final loss to Spain
By Mike Starling Published
-
How English women’s football could become a billion pound industry
feature Building on the success of the Lionesses won’t be easy but it is eminently possible
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lionesses dig deep after Lauren James’s ‘Beckham-esque’ red card
feature England reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after a 4-2 win on penalties against Nigeria
By Mike Starling Published
-
Curse of the Lionesses: what’s causing spate of England women’s football injuries?
Under the Radar Several key players are out of the World Cup, raising concerns about hectic schedules, sub-par pitches and sexism
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
‘Captain fantastic’: Harry Kane’s most memorable England goals
feature Kane has overtaken Wayne Rooney as the Three Lions’s all-time leading goalscorer
By Mike Starling Published
-
A World Cup of missed opportunities for England, Southgate and Kane
feature Three Lions boss Southgate will take time to consider his future after defeat to France
By Mike Starling Published
-
World Cup quarter-final: England vs. France prediction, preview and team news
feature Three Lions are ready for the ‘fantastic challenge’ of facing the reigning champions
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Operation stop Mbappé’: how Kyle Walker can be England’s ‘secret weapon’ against France
feature Three Lions prepare to go head-to-head with the World Cup holders
By Mike Starling Published