England had too much for Scotland, running out 3-1 winners at Celtic Park on Tuesday night. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s opener and a Wayne Rooney brace proved enough despite Andy Robertson also scoring for Scotland in an entertaining game. Adam Bate picks out five things from the match…
Wednesday 19 November 2014 07:31, UK
The first game played north of the border between Scotland and England so far this century seemed to stoke the fire in both sets of supporters. The anthems – and England’s pre-match huddle – were booed and the recent vote for independence added an edge to the occasion. The oldest international fixture is more of a challenge match than a friendly and it surely remains the most exciting way of filling any gaps in the calendar.
Such was the quality of the atmosphere and the evident appetite for this match among the players, only the second-half substitutions offered a reminder that this was not strictly competitive fare. Indeed, the England side seemed to revel in it after a series of underwhelming qualifying games. Roy Hodgson’s clenched teeth and Wayne Rooney’s acrobatics were more than matched by the brief outpouring of joy that greeted Andy Robertson’s fine goal for the home side. It was enjoyable stuff.
The Arsenal midfielder has yet to be on the losing side for England and continues to prove himself a player able to raise his game for his country. Playing in an advanced position on the right, he revelled in the role early on and did superbly to divert the opening goal beyond David Marshall with a glance of his head. Danny Welbeck might have been frustrated to find himself playing from the left but his Gunners team-mate showed it need not prevent a goalscoring contribution.
After the interval, Oxlade-Chamberlain provided more positivity with a driving run down the right that saw him cynically taken out by Charlie Mulgrew. It was only right that the Celtic player suffered the additional punishment of Rooney eventually heading in following the free-kick. Withdrawn with a little over 10 minutes remaining, Oxlade-Chamberlain had long since made his point. Injury meant he was unable to feature at the World Cup, but a key role at Euro 2016 surely beckons.
The opening goal came courtesy of a beautifully lofted ball forwards by Jack Wilshere – his first assist for England. The delivery was made more impressive in that the midfielder had engineered the space for himself shortly before thanks to a driving run with the ball from deep. A keenly-fought contest against Scotland might have meant being denied the room he needed, but Wilshere ensured he did enough to remain the game’s most effective midfielder in the centre of the pitch. Instead it was Scotland who were stifled.
He almost repeated the trick with a clever ball to Welbeck in the second half and according to the Opta stats it was Wilshere who attempted three of the game’s four through-balls. Of course, there were still moments of concerns such as when he was dispossessed in a deep position and he might have tracked the run better for Scotland’s goal. But given that his only World Cup start in the summer came against Costa Rica when already eliminated, the elevation back to first-choice midfielder is a fine feat on which to end his international duties for the year.
Rooney’s tenth brace for England means it is seven goals in seven games for his country as he closes in on Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time goalscoring record. He has now scored 46 goals and is just three behind a total he will surely reach in 2015. It’s not always been a mutually adoring relationship between the England captain and his public but given the way the visiting fans were chanting his name in the latter stages at Celtic Park there is an admiration for his efforts.
And why shouldn’t there be? Now that Rooney represents the last of a golden generation, it might be time for a reappraisal of his contribution. He remains England’s most reliable goalscorer and is maturing as a leader of this team. His work rate alongside Welbeck was impressive and with Daniel Sturridge enduring ongoing injury complaints, any suggestion there is a better alternative to the Manchester United forward has dissipated for the foreseeable future.
Gordon Strachan might have hoped to see his side harry and press England in order to narrow the gap in quality but once it became clear Hodgson’s men were up for this one it became a problem. Four of the Scotland back-five play in the Championship and it showed. At the other end, Steven Fletcher was replaced by in-form Chris Martin and while it was the only change from Friday’s win over Ireland, it proved a tricky one. “Scotland have got to the 18-yard line time and again but have had to turn back again,” said Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness. “There’s nothing there to hit.”
Ultimately, the quality was not there and with Strachan unable to rotate his squad as much as Hodgson due to a lack of depth, the intense contest against the Irish appeared to take its toll. Even so, it shouldn’t alter the feel-good factor beginning to take root among this Scotland squad too much. They remain well placed in Group D and the only qualifier between now and June is at home to Gibraltar in the spring. Perhaps there is a rematch to be had with England at Euro 2016. Now that would be something.
