- England Under-21’s came up against a much-changed Germany side in Nitra
- Boss Lee Carsley saw first-hand how the competition can step up in quality
- LISTEN: Was ‘Fergie Time’ real? Veteran Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg reveals all on the first episode of the Mail’s brand-new football podcast Whistleblowers
England stumbled their way into the quarter-finals of the Under-21 Euros on Wednesday night after a 2-1 defeat to Germany.
Lee Carsley’s side needed to better or equal Slovenia’s result to ensure progression and in the end both teams lost, meaning England set up a date with Spain on Saturday night.
This was a performance that highlighted England’s flaws and showed perhaps why talk of winning this competition back to back after the opening group win over Czech Republic was a touch premature.
Germany made 11 changes from the side that beat Czech Republic 4-2, compared to the four alterations Carsley made to the England side, and yet they looked significantly more cohesive.
So cohesive and tuned up, in fact, that they were ahead here inside three minutes after Angsar Knauff ran in behind Jarrell Quansah and was picked out by team-mate Lukas Ullrich with aplomb before firing low and hard past James Beadle.
England’s lack of a recognised striker has been the theme of this Euros title defence for Carsley and there were moments here where a presence in the box was all that was missing from them taking their chances.
The importance of a striker was further underlined when Germany showed them how it’s done to make it 2-0, going direct with a cross into the box for 6ft3′ striker Nelson Weiper to nod in after out-jumping both Charlie Cresswell and Jack Hinshelwood.
A floodlight failure in first half stoppage time just about summed up an error-strewn half for England that was, for the most part, one-way German traffic.
A triple half-time substitution from Carsley saw Jay Stansfield, James McAtee and Brooke Norton-Cuffy on for Jonathan Rowe, Harvey Elliott and Samuel Iling-Jnr and that did at least inject some life into England.
Brilliant work from Omari Hutchinson wide on the left saw him dance inside two German defenders before teeing up Alex Scott for a tap in on the line.
‘We changed shape a little bit and freed up Macca [James McAtee] as a No 10,’ Scott told Channel 4 of England’s second half improvement.
‘We definitely improved, and it’s something that we can build on now going into the quarter-finals.’
Carsley had moments to be positive about in the second half and he will cling to those, just as Scott is, ahead of the knockout stages after a first half of pure frustration.
Cresswell almost made it 2-2 when he rose highest from a McAtee corner, forcing a brilliant reaction save out of Tjark Ernst.
That gave England a spring in their step late on but the equaliser evaded them and it’s a Saturday night showdown with Spain that stands between themselves and a spot in the semi-finals.
