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England Defense Not Quite Matching Their Attack Just Yet

Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring for England against Scotland

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The game was billed as a friendly, but the truth is that this game meant so much more than that to both Scotland and England. It was never going to be just another win for either team if they were to be victorious, and that will now ring true for England who ran out 3-1 winners in Glasgow. With pride protected and a satisfactory scoreline achieved, though, what did the performance say about the development of the new, young England?

The Three Lions showed many of the same traits that have been evident ever since this young team was assembled: vibrant and energetic in attack, but at times vulnerable in defense. The attack is coming together nicely with the guile of Wayne Rooney allied to the pace of players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck and Raheem Sterling, but the defense still requires more surgery yet.

There is still an ongoing issue at center-back with only Gary Cahill assured of a place in the team and the rest fighting to be the best of the rest. In truth, none of the other options really convince as the obvious first choice to play next to Cahill in the starting lineup. Youngsters like John Stones or Calum Chambers could be the answer in the long term but both are still developing as young players.

Against Scotland, Nathaniel Clyne was impressive at right-back, although tougher tests will determine whether or not he is next in line for that position. Left-back Luke Shaw is still slowly settling with both Manchester United and England and should be the clear first choice left-back in due time. But for now, the defense as a whole is still a bit of a jigsaw with a few holes and broken pieces.

Scotland are by no means a good offensive team and England, as you would expect, did look comfortable for large spells in the game. But there were still odd occasions which surprisingly troubled the away team. That was epitomized most when Andrew Robertson scored for Scotland in the 83rd minute to offer hope of a comeback for the Scottish fans. The defending was soft and lackadaisical from England, and it is these small things which can ultimately prove a big price in close games.

The win will still seem bigger and more important at this stage, but moving forward, it is the Three Lions’ defense which still needs the most attention if this young team is to continue developing in the right direction.

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