IT wasn’t exactly the thrilling white-knuckle ride we’d been promised by Thomas Tuchel.
But England set off on their journey to the United States with one goal from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and one from their all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane to see off a limited Albania.
Arsenal’s 18-year-old left-back got the Tuchel era under way with a bang by becoming the youngest England player ever to score on his debut – rewarding a ballsy selection from the new German manager.
Lewis-Skelly is a modern full-back, frequently popping up in attacking midfield positions and showing excellent industry and footwork.
But in the hour of football between their two goals, England toiled and showed some familiar problems.
Phil Foden was anonymous on the right, and still doesn’t look as though he can fit convincingly into the same team as Jude Bellingham, whose brilliant assist teed up Lewis-Skelly’s dreamy start.
Marcus Rashford, selected after just one Premier League start on loan at Aston Villa, was a willing runner with little end product.
While Dan Burn, Tuchel’s other debutant, was unconvincing in defence despite crashing a header against the bar shortly before half-time.
Had Gareth Southgate still been in charge the nation would have yawned at it all.
But then that is the problem with tournament qualifying campaigns.
England will be up against a succession of teams who will pack their defence and play with little ambition and none of it will mean very much by the time Tuchel’s men get to the World Cup in America.
With the only two friendlies this year having been scheduled against Senegal and Wales, England are not going to face any truly elite opposition for at least 12 months.
This was, Tuchel and his team hoped, the first step on a glorious journey towards a World Cup Final in New Jersey next July.
And the new boss wants all of us cheerleading on his bandwagon. Good luck with that.
But having talked a good game about boldness and positivity, Tuchel selected a bold and positive line-up – giving debuts to Lewis-Skelly and man-of-the moment Burn, as well as recalling Rashford.
With a back four and a positive-looking midfield selection, it felt that the much-mentioned Southgate ‘handbrake’ had been consigned to the breakers’ yard.
Still, England had humped Albania 5-0 here under Southgate four years ago.
The most successful Three Lions boss in half a century wasn’t as negative as history is now rewriting him.
England started quietly, dominating the ball but doing little with it until the 19th minute when Lewis-Skelly’s moment arrived.
It was a moment of instinctive brilliance from Bellingham which created it, the Real Madrid dropping deep, spinning his man and taking out five defenders with one slicing pass which located Lewis-Skelly on the overlap.
The Arsenal kid needed just one touch to nutmeg keeper Thomas Strakosha and ignite the Tuchel era.
Kane was soon dropping deep and pinging a sweet pass on to the chest of the on-rushing Rashford but he failed to control when he ought to have troubled the keeper.
Soon there was panic in the England defence when Dan Burn sliced an attempted clearance from Qasim Laci’s cross and the ball looped up onto the top of the bar before the big Newcastle defender challenged Pickford for the same ball.
Tuchel had been talking up the importance of England’s players talking to each other all week. And here wasn’t an example of that.
It took 34 minutes for the first paper plane to reach the Wembley turf but Bellingham soon livened things up again, racing on to Rashford’s through-ball but having his shot blocked by Strakosha.
England were largely unconvincing but Kane was everywhere, winning several tackles and Bellingham was generally the creative spark.
Foden was anonymous on the right wing, while Curtis Jones was eager with little end product.
Five minutes before the break, Kyle Walker darted down the right and cut back for Bellingham, whose diving header was blocked by Straoksha, Kane’s follow-up effort deflected over.
Then from a Declan Rice corner, Burn leapt to a height of approximately 12 feet and nutted against the crossbar – so close to a second Wembley goal in the space of five days during this ridiculous week of his.
Early in the second half, the great Geordie giraffe was lucky to escape at least a yellow card for booting Myrto Azuni in the head on the follow-through.
Lewis-Skelly popped up in central to start a decent England attack, Rashford haring forward but losing his footing before Kane headed wide from a Bellingham cross.
Albania boss Sylvinho sent on Armando Broja and the Everton loanee soon toasted Burn for pace twice without managing to threaten Pickford.
And Ezri Konsa – arguably England’s best player – soon had to make an excellent interception to deny Jasir Asani a clear sight of goal.,
Tuchel responded with his first three subs – Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers on for Rashford, Foden and Jones, none of whom had set the world ablaze.
And soon Rice was curling a cross to Kane, who plucked the ball out of the air with his right foot, then took a second to compose himself before he slotted home the second on 78 minutes.
It was Kane’s 70th goal for England and if they are to rule the world in the States next summer, he and Bellingham will have to run the show.
Dan Burn’s a great story but we may not see much more of him in an England shirt
By Charlie Wyett
ALTHOUGH it was the teenage new boy who got the Thomas Tuchel show on the road, the night was just as memorable for the 32-year-old who took the long route to an England cap.
Dan Burn, raised 285 miles away in Blyth and who never looked like he would be a regular visitor to Wembley at any stage during his career, has just completed a truly extraordinary week.
To lift a trophy with Newcastle on your 487th professional appearance is one thing.
But then being unable to celebrate properly on the Sunday evening because you are reporting for England the following morning at St George’s Park is just extraordinary.
But there is no doubt that Burn’s inclusion in Tuchel’s first squad was arguably the most popular.
Before the game, Burn looked like the proudest man in this country as he belted out the national anthem with three lions on his shirt.
Remarkably, he hit the woodwork at both ends on a night so scoring for both teams is not something he would have wanted to be remembered for.
For the games in June against Andorra and Senegal, both John Stones and Harry Maguire will be back.
So whether the Toon defender to next year’s World Cup remains up for debate but right now, he really will not give two hoots. He will just be savouring every minute with the national team before he eventually comes back down to earth.
Tuchel is clearly one of those managers who believes you don’t win anything with kids. And that is why he has recalled Jordan Henderson who returned for England as a late sub.
Surprisingly, it looks as though Tuchel has reservations over Marc Guehi which is why he chose not to partner him with Ezri Konsa. But rather than start Levi Colwill, Tuchel decided to give Burn his surprise start .
Understandably, there were nerves and an early pass towards Phil Foden which drifted out for a throw.
There was one bit of confusion at the back when Burn blocked a cross from Qazim Laci. The ball looped into the air and Burn headed the ball out for the corner with Pickford not calling for the ball and seeming unsure whether to try and collect it.
Just before half-time, Burn hammered a header against the bar from Declan Rice’s corner and for two defenders to score on their debuts would have been a record breaker.
Burn started the second half by booting Myrto Uzini in the head and then slipped badly to allow Albania space to attack but they failed to make the most of it.
Standing at 6 ft 7ins, Burn towers over most people and this was certainly the case with 5 ft 10 ins Lewis-Skelly next to him in Tuchel’s back four.
The pair stood next to each other at a SGP photo shoot during the week and, looking at Burn, Lewis-Skelly said: “Nah, this is too much! Oh my goodness. This is a joke.”
Lewis-Skelly, born a couple of months after Italy won the 2006 World Cup in Germany, is not known for his goalscoring and had only managed six for Arsenal, and that also includes under-18s and Premier League Two.
But he took his goal superbly and played with confidence throughout even though he did seem under orders not to wander too deep into enemy territory unless it was totally necessary.
On this evidence, we might not see too much more of Burn but that is certainly not the case for MLS.
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