Key events
Goodness me, Erik ten Hag was doorstepped by his bosses in Beefa. Can’t be many who’d welcome that.
“Trent’s in the team to create a goal from nothing,” says Stephen Berkery. “Goals make championships. He played a number of great passes. If you prioritise formation over creativity, I pity you…”
England are not short of creative players. They do, though, struggle for midfield control, and he’s never going to help that.
Bellingham says Serbia were strong, tough, and robust – “a big group of lads”. The staff got it right with preparation, he says, they’re positive inside the camp, “now onto the next one”.
He’s got used to hitting the box, he says, and it’s a great start for him personally to get his confidence up – yup, he looks a bit short on that.
Otherwise, he says he’s got better at handling the rough stuff, steering clear of ruckus. Then, when asked how it is being “Jude Bellingham”, he says “It’s alright. Could be worse. Jude Bellingham is made up of amazing people.”
I’d love to leave it there, but he goes on to explain that he has a great support network of family, friends and teammates. “I’m so fortunate, and football is the easiest part.”
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy has hit the front again.
Harry Kane says tonight was all about winning. Serbia posed a threat, were very physical with long balls and second balls, forcing England back, and for a while they couldn’t get out. He thinks Serbia went man-to-man in the second half, which made a difference.
On Bellingham, he rhapsodises his confidence and contribution, then says he thinks his own role will change depending on the game. Today, he stayed a bit higher as they defend man-to-man and he wanted to push them deep so Foden and Bellingham could get in pockets. Then, in the second half, his job was to hold it up and win free-kicks.
“Not sure why you’re singling Trent out,” says Robert Lavine. “The team as a whole and the midfield in particular looked noticeably worse after he went off. We could barely get the ball out of our half – it was like Phil Neville had come on!”
Yeah, I don’t agree with that – though I’m often wrong. I thought England looked less vulnerable after he went off, but the reason I singled him out is that he’s trying to learn a position in a tournament, and I don’t think that makes sense – in general or specifically given the type of player he is. He just doesn’t offer enough off the ball, positionally, or on it, in terms of keeping things ticking.
It’s worth noting that Uefa seem to have rowed back on the added time we saw in the World Cup. In today’s first game, we had two first-half goals and one minute of extras; today, though there weren’t loads of stoppages, we got two and four.
FULL TIME: Serbia 0-1 England
It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. England top Group C with three points, Serbia are bottom with none, with Denmark and Slovenia between them on one.
90+4 min Pickford does well to take ages before swatting the ball down t’other end, and that will, I think, be that.
90+3 min Again, Serbia build, sticking a ball into the box. But Milinkovic-Savic and pavlovic jump together, no one near them, and Kane wins a free-kick backing into Milenkovic then winning the header and wearing the barge.
90+3 min Tadic spreads to Birmancevic, but England push them back and when Mladenovic crosses, Bowen, sprinting over to close, blocks into touch.
90+2 min Gallagher wins a free-kick off Ilic – his second in quick succession – and though they’ve played poorly, England have done a pretty good job of disappearing the last 15 minutes.
90 min We’ll have four additional minutes.
90 min I can’t be sure whether England have sat back or been pushed back, but though this is only one match, I’m still pretty sure England haven’t found the right balance in midfield and perhaps not in attack either. I’d not be surprised to see Alexander-Arnold on the bench next game.
89 min Mladenovic again escapes down the left, Stones heading clear brilliantly running towards his own net then, when Serbia recycle possession, Milinkovic-Savic drives a riser a yard or two wide from the edge. This is getting dicey…
87 min Serbia will, perhaps, be rueing how they started this game. Whether under instruction or just nervous, they let England play for half an hour, and given the players they have, it’s no surprise they scored just as it’s no surprise they’re struggling for control now it’s being put on them.
86 min Another England change, Bellingham – the best player on the pitch in the first half, anonymous in the second – replaced by Mainoo.
85 min England are struggling to get out – another reason to get Palmer on, I’d say: his ability to hold possession.
83 min Ball into the box, headed clear by Stones … and on the edge, Vlahovic collects beautifully, swivelling into a shot that Pickford tips over! He’d have looked a right charlie had he let that in, but it was lovely play from the striker and believe you’ve seen it done.
82 min “A solution for the Foden situation,” volunteers Phil Podolsky. “Saka is a wonderful player on the back of a great season, yet having Gordon on the left would make a world of difference. First of all you get Gordon’s very direct runs, second of all you get Foden at his lethal best cutting inside from the right. I foresee some objections from Arsenal fans though.”
I know what you mean, but increasingly, I think the pace of international football will work really nicely for Palmer, who has the ability to create out of nothing and does so at a different tempo to everyone else.
81 min An injured left-back, just what England need. I think it’s just cramp but, Trippier stretching it out, leg on the hoarding, and he’s back on now.
79 min “The usual issue coming to the fore for England,” reckons Mark Gillespie. “Once they lose the momentum and control, the manager doesn’t know how to get it back, and is far too passive. Also disagree on the Gallagher substitution. We’re lacking the ability to keep possession, which Gallagher won’t help, but Mainoo would be perfect for.”
I’d have gone Wharton, but agree Mainoo would also have made more sense. But there’s a pecking order, I imagine, and Southgate wants experience on the pitch.
77 min And this is why! Bowen gets the ball in space down the right, drags the ball outside Lukic and stands up the kind of cross that’s so inviting Andy Gray is doubtless imagining the conversation between them as we speak. “How about that Skipper, get your swede on that!” “Love it, new kid!” Problem being, kane punishes a header that Rajkovic does superbly to gets hands on, palming it against the bar and away! That was the match right there, and Kane couldn’t seize it!
76 min Now another England change, Bowen replacing Saka. I’d have gone for Palmer, who offers creativity and ball-retention, but Southgate clearly wants energy, and the player he’s brought on offers lots of it.
75 min Foden struts past Tadic, who hauls him back and is booked.
74 min Another change for Serbia, Zivkovic – who’s had moments – coming off, with Birmancevic coming on.
73 min The thing about that Gallagher change is it’s one to try and not lose the lead. What England need more than energy is control, so actually Wharton might’ve been a more sensible replacement.
72 min Saka curls nicely to the back post for Rice – he can be so effective in that position – but his knock-back is smothered and the keeper deals.
70 min Pickford comes out for a ball and, with no one near him, opts to punch clear. In fairness, I think he wasn’t quite set to catch, but it looked a little strange.
69 min Yup, here’s that change: Gallagher for Alexander-Arnold, who’s had some good moments but not enough of them. He must offer more in general play.
69 min “I’m enjoying Alan Shearer essentially calling for England to hit Les,” chortles Niall Mullen. “Can we not knock it? Cn we not knock it?!”
67 min Another poor delivery from Alexander-Arnold, Rajkovic fisting clear easily enough then, when England sustain the attack and Bellingham gets down the left, he tries to do too much, dipping this way and that to lost Lukic before standing up a cross that the keeper swallows.
66 min Walker into Kane who knocks off for Alexander-Arnold, and though his first touch isn’t the best, it takes him onto danger and a block means he wins England’s first corner of the match.
65 min Trippier charges a loose ball, misses, and Tadic seizes upon the loose ball, sliding a straight pass into the box for Jovic … but it’s a little behind him and he can’t quite control. Still, though, that’s a warning.
65 min Mladenovic gets away down the left and slings over a cross; Foden plucks it out of the sky and then humps clear to no one.
64 min What we’re seeing now is why I don’t think Alexander-Arnold is the right man for England’s midfield: Serbia are dominating possession and he’s barely involved.
62 min I’d not be surprised if Southgate contemplates a change now Tadic is on. His ability to roam spaces might mean Gallagher is introduced, if he’s doing so in central areas.
61 min Two more changes for Serbia: Jovic for Mitrovic and Tadic for Lukic. Tasty!
58 min England have restored a semblance of control, but I also think about giving Foden a rest … but excuse me while I interrupt myself! A turn and ball in behind sets Mladenovic away, he pulls back form the line, and Trippier, caught with a run across him at the front post, does just enough to buffet Mitrovic without obviously fouling him, and eventually Guehi and Pickford get out each other’s road so the keeper can dive on the loose ball.
57 min Alexander-Arnold fires one from distance that Rajkovic fists clear, but he’s soon on the ball again, implying the cross before picking out Bellingham via cut-back; just as he’s about to hammer home his second goal, Lukic nips in to make a terrific tackle.
56 min England are letting this drift a little, and I wonder if Southgate is thinking about a change. As it goes, I’m looking forward to his subs because it’ll tell us who he’s into at the moment; I’d think about Cole Palmer, I think, well though Saka’s played.
54 min “Is Foden at risk of becoming one of those players who is great for their clubs but never really performs for England?” wonders David Wall. “He’s had more that 30 games now but I don’t really remember a performance where he’s been the dominant player, or even been that decisive (perhaps in the World Cup against Wales but that seemed more about Rashford). It’s a high-quality list, with the likes of Barnes, McManaman, Fowler, Cole, perhaps Hoddle too, so he’d be in good company.”
He’s got plenty of time, but it’s much harder to play him in the middle when the team doesn’t keep the ball like Man City do – and when you’ve also got Bellingham.