It was a long way from being the triumphant Euro 2024 send-off for Gareth Southgate and his England players at a sold-out and increasingly fretful Wembley. Never mind the result because it was not the main thing, however much it stirred memories of you-know-when against Iceland.
It was the performance that raised the difficult questions, the worst one for quite some time and at exactly the wrong time. The home fans, thousands of whom made for the exits before the end, were forced to watch the second half – from about minute 55 onwards – through the gaps between their fingers. And it had not been great before that.
Iceland scored early through Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson, the visitors finding time and space with ease and it would be a theme of what followed in the second half, England’s defending so welcoming. With no Harry Maguire and John Stones withdrawn at half-time, it was an inexperienced central defence and an unconvincing one, Marc Guéhi struggling in particular. It was tough to single him out. Kobbie Mainoo and Phil Foden could get little going in midfield.
There were boos at half-time and they returned with plenty more force after the final whistle. England did not look as though they believed they would equalise as the second-half minutes ticked down and the truth was they could have conceded again.
In creative terms, Southgate’s team flattered to deceive; lots of flicks, not enough power and conviction. It was largely confused and the post-match lap of appreciation could not have been flatter. Like much of the performance.
The ghosts of 2016 will always be there when England face Iceland – and we are not only talking about Brexit. The fateful night under Roy Hodgson features prominently on the all-time list of England disasters and Southgate included a few survivors from it in his line-up here – Kyle Walker and Harry Kane, both starters in Nice, plus Stones, who was an unused substitute.
It was certainly the worst possible start for England. Southgate had taken a few uneasy breaths inside the first minute when Stones went down and stayed down, having got his foot tangled underneath Thorsteinsson after they tussled with each other and went to ground. One of the main things for England was that they did not pick up injuries.
Stones would continue but he was a part of the defensive inquest when Thorsteinsson stunned Wembley with the opening goal on 12 minutes. It was uncomfortable to see how much space Hakon Arnar Haraldsson had in Kobbie Mainoo’s area of midfield and he went left for Thorsteinsson.
With Walker not in the picture, Stones was slow to get across and close down when Thorsteinsson cut inside and unloaded for the near post, Aaron Ramsdale – given the opportunity ahead of Jordan Pickford – was also slow to react. The ball flashed past him and it was not exactly flush in the corner. Ramsdale looked disappointed with himself.
There was a moment midway through the first-half when Southgate had to urge his players to stay calm. He had just seen Phil Foden play a pass up the line to nobody, shortly after drawing a sigh from the crowd with an overhit cross. Southgate had started Foden in the No 10 role, Cole Palmer to the right, Anthony Gordon to the left. Palmer had plenty of licence to roam. Gordon’s ability to run with the ball and beat his man was pleasing.
England’s close passing was sometimes a little too intricate before the interval, Iceland able to mass bodies behind the ball and make life difficult. That said, Southgate’s team did have first-half chances, including two big ones, the biggest for Kane in the 28th minute. Palmer picked him out with a nice cross only for the captain, unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, to blaze the volley off target.
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Before that, Palmer had seen a shot turned away by the defender, Daniel Leo Grétarsson, after Declan Rice had harried the goalkeeper, Hakon Rafn Valdimarsson, into a loose pass. Palmer had plenty of the goal to aim at with Valdimarsson out of position. Gordon also got a curler for the far corner all wrong on 15 minutes after a flowing move. The first-half would end with Guéhi making an important block on a shot from Arnor Ingvi Traustason. And with some boos from the home support.
Southgate brought Ezri Konsa on in central defence for the second-half, Stones making way. Having played on for 44 minutes after his knock, the hope had to be that Stones was not injured.
It was a psychological test for Southgate’s young players, as much as anything else – a line that is likely to be written regularly in the weeks ahead. Konsa’s introduction took the number of outfield players with no experience of a major international tournament to five.
England hinted at the equaliser. Foden dragged wide after a Gordon pull-back while Palmer tried and failed to round Valdimarsson after a Rice pass that looked to have been meant for Kane. And yet with England pushing up, Iceland might have plundered a second on the break. When Haraldsson ran in behind from halfway, Iceland had two on one. His cross was made to measure for Thorsteinsson and he had to score only to slip at the crucial moment.
Iceland would have another big chance when Sverrir Ingason escaped Guéhi on a corner only to head too close to Ramsdale. Some of England’s defending was way too generous. The defensive line was high and open.
Southgate made more changes and two of them – Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who played at right-back – would go close. In between times, Kolbeinn Finnsson almost caught out Ramsdale from distance. It could have been worse.
