Harry Maguire couldn’t really decide whether he should put his hands to his ears or put his fingers in his ears. He would have loved to do both at the same time, on the one hand to enjoy the affection of the fans, but on the other hand to signal to his skeptics that he does not want to take note of the harsh criticism of his club performance for Manchester United without complaint. Because the two movements could not be reconciled at the same time, Maguire was delighted with his opening goal for England (9th minute / header) in the 5-0 win over Albania, which was almost certain to qualify for the Winter World Cup 2022 in Qatar means, one after the other: first open ears for the fans, then closed ears for the complainers.
However, there was something on the ears of Maguire again shortly afterwards when the former United midfield villain Roy Keane dismissed the attempt to silence his critics with this gesture as “embarrassing” at the ITV microphone during the half-time break. In his defense, Maguire later admitted that his cheers were addressed to “no one”. The little skirmish was only put to the record after national coach Gareth Southgate jumped to the side of his defense chief by taking the sharpness of his hand signal – with a comparison to the US wrestler Hulk Hogan, who once waved that hand-to-ear had coined.
“Is he a Hulk-Hogan fan?” Southgate quipped at the press conference, only to make a fiery appeal for his player. Maguire had played in some games because of his “clear conscience”, although he was “not quite fit” in those games due to a calf injury. He, Southgate, has “great respect” for this because most professionals would have hidden themselves “in the treatment room” in a similar situation.
In the national jersey, goalkeeper Pickford manages to call up his potential – but not in the club
The episode about Maguire, who was recently heavily ruffed and now almost acquitted, provides an insight into the inner workings of the English national team. Not so long ago, the gatherings of the Three Lions were seen by the top international roster as an almost chore that everyone had to get over and over again to return to their respective clubs. However, the association’s battered reputation has gradually changed when Southgate took office in autumn 2016.
The national team is now surrounded by a real healing climate that seems to have an almost homeopathic effect on some players. Because the scoring in the duel with the pitiful Albanians, whose last chance to qualify for the World Cup at Wembley came to an abrupt end, not only gave Maguire a cure from the troublesome Premier League everyday life, but also goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, attacker Raheem Sterling and Captain Harry Kane.
Compared to the dreary existence at Everton FC, which mostly falls short of expectations, Pickford in the national jersey manages to call up his potential. With a remarkable parade in a duel with Myrto Uzuni, who suddenly appeared free in front of him, he prevented the equalizer early on. The (too) brisk demeanor of the Albanians opened up unimagined offensive freedoms for England. Sterling, who is no longer part of the regular staff at champions Manchester City this season, raged as well as triple goalscorer Kane (18./33./45.+1). After almost a month and 518 goalless minutes at Tottenham Hotspur, the center forward scored his first goals and a remarkable assist for Jordan Henderson (28th).
In preparation for the game, Kane had put his frustration off his mind for the first time after his missed summer move to Manchester when he mentioned the “bitter disappointment” of the lost European Championship final with England and the associated “physical and mental” fatigue. “Dealing with the rumors about his future” would also have bothered him. His “flawless hat trick” like that Times wrote because he hit his head, left and right foot one after the other, could be a new start to the season for him.
It’s going well – as a reward, Southgate is being offered a contract extension until 2024
With 44 international goals now, Kane is only seven goals short of catching up with record holder Wayne Rooney. “Crisis? What crisis?” Was the headline of the tabloid Sun and languished, “If only we could all go through the kind of crisis that Harry Kane is suffering from.” However, Kane did not want to make peace with the recent coverage of him that easily and emphasized that he was only “in a good mood” for the media when he scored goals.
The presentable achievements of the established players are likely to have confirmed Southgate’s loyalty to them. One of his principles as a national coach so far is that he always selects the best team and not the best individual players. The former Dortmund Jadon Sancho, 21, feels that the most, this time he wasn’t even nominated anymore. Instead, Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, 21, made his England debut as the 48th player under Southgate.
The results prove him right: in three years England have only lost three games after regular time and played 21 of the last 28 games without conceding a goal. As a reward, Southgate is currently being offered a contract extension until summer 2024. But he doesn’t want to officially accept it until his team has made it perfect for the World Cup on Monday in the final group game at bottom of the table San Marino. A draw is enough for England. Then the players go back to their clubs – even if some of them would probably prefer to stay with the national team a little longer.
.
