England’s first half first class
Former Three Lion Anderton says first period against Tunisia among the best showings at World Cup so far
England might have needed an injury-time Harry Kane goal to win their World Cup Group G opener against Tunisia yesterday morning (Singapore time), but their first-half showing was among the best at Russia 2018 so far.
That is what former England winger Darren Anderton told The New Paper yesterday morning, after analysing his nation's performance as a World Cup pundit for local broadcasters.
Gareth Southgate's Three Lions created chance after chance in the first 45 minutes, but went into the break level at 1-1 after Kane's 11th-minute opener was cancelled out by a contentious Ferjani Sassi penalty against the run of play on 35 minutes.
Jesse Lingard, in particular, was guilty of spurning several chances, but he was in good company with Raheem Sterling and John Stones also lacking the finishing touch.
The Three Lions' six shots on target in the first half was their most in a World Cup since the the 1966 semi-final against Portugal.
Wing-back Kieran Trippier's six chances created during the match is also the second-most by a Three Lions player since England won their only World Cup on home soil in 1966.
"England's attacking in the first half was outstanding, they ripped Tunisia to pieces," said the 46-year-old Anderton.
"It was just the finishing that was a big disappointment.
"England need to be more ruthless... they could have scored at least three (in the first half)...
"The first-half performance was among the best we've seen at the World Cup so far, up there with Brazil's first half against Switzerland and Russia's win over Saudi Arabia."
But England were unable to replicate their exciting attacking play from the first half after the break, with Southgate's men managing a solitary shot on target before their captain popped up with an injury-time winner - his second goal from three shots on target.
Former Spurs winger Anderton believed that this was the result of the Eagles of Carthage changing their approach from an aggressive high press in the first half which played into England's hands, to sitting a lot deeper in the second half.
He said: "In the first half, Tunisia pressed high, but England were too good for them and always managed to play the ball through the lines.
"In the second half, Tunisia sat a lot deeper and things became a lot harder for England.
HARD TO BREAK DOWN
"It's normal in international football that when opponents sit very deep that it becomes very hard to break them down.
"We've seen it at the World Cup that big teams like Germany, Argentina, France and Brazil have all struggled with that.
"But that said, England still should have created more opportunities in the second half."
The Three Lions could have had more opportunities had referee Wilmar Roldan seen Kane wrestled to the ground during two second-half corners.
Former Fifa referees Graham Poll and Mark Clattenburg both believe that England deserved spot-kicks on both occasions, and Anderton agrees.
He said: "I felt Tunisia got a soft penalty, and if the referee thought that was a penalty, then surely England should have got two."
Next up for England is Panama on Sunday, before they wrap up their Group G fixtures with a clash with Fifa's third-ranked team Belgium next Thursday.
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