That was, it would be fair to say, somewhat better than the Wembley sh*tshow against the same opponents at Wembley last month.
That night, Lee Carsley tried to cram all his attacking players on to the pitch in some kind of absurd radio phone-in XI that had no discernible structure. There was no such nonsense in Athens, where England – despite plenty of high-profile withdrawals – deployed a lot more round pegs in round holes and reaped the benefits.
By the end of a 3-0 win that leaves Nations League promotion firmly in their own hands they even had a left-footed left-back, if you can imagine such a thing. And we will make no apologies for enjoying this England win a little more given the way the infamous press pack had laid the groundwork for laying the blame for any failure to sort out a very decent Greece side firmly at Thomas Tuchel’s door.
JORDAN PICKFORD
Booked for time-wasting in the 27th minute, which was quite funny. Had a really good five minutes after that as England had a really dodgy five minutes. Which makes sense, really, when you think about it. In pretty quick succession he came smartly out of his area to snuff out the threat before releasing Madueke with a good longball, then made a smart stop from Tsimikas before punching clear from a corner.
Made another big save after the break and his judgement in and around the edge of his box was superb. Pickford has been a brilliant goalkeeper for England but not always a calming, reassuring one. He was that tonight, which England needed given the inexperience in front of him.
KYLE WALKER
Does finally look like time is catching up with him at long last. Greece didn’t carry the same attacking threat as they had at Wembley, but when they did it was generally via a Walker-bamboozling combination of Christos Tzolis and Kostas Tsimikas down the Greek left. Shuffled across to centre-back in the second half where he perhaps more understandably found life difficult. The right side of three centre-backs may be a familiar England position for Walker, but the right side of two is a very different beast. The spacing between Walker and Guehi never quite looked right and Greece found altogether too much joy in those spaces.
There is still just about enough recovery pace in there to get him out of trouble more often than not, though.
RICO LEWIS
Moved to right-back by the enforced half-time reshuffle and immediately both more comfortable and more involved in attacking positions. Wasn’t exactly run ragged in the first half but was clearly happier at right-back.
Made a good early run from an England counter and then drew a smart save from Odysseas Vlachodimos after a clever underlapping run as Madueke, for the umpteenth time, had Tsimikas on toast.
MARC GUEHI
Did a pretty solid job all things considered as the senior central defender in what started as a slightly makeshift defence and ended as a very makeshift defence, and behind a new-look central-midfield pairing too.
EZRI KONSA
Solid enough in the first half with Greece getting little joy through the centre and attacking mainly down the left flank and targeting Walker. Forced off at half-time by injury.
CURTIS JONES
Took a while to grow into his England debut and find the eye-catching Liverpool form that propelled him into this rejigged line-up. But grow into it he did and by the end, he was back-flicking nerve-settling third goals and then doing elasticos in his own half and looking every inch an England central midfielder. Which is meant as a compliment but reading it back doesn’t necessarily sound like one.
READ: Kane-less England justify Carsley’s ‘huge call’ with Tuchel given headache by Nations League advert
CONOR GALLAGHER
A careless early booking meant a long time atop the dreaded disciplinary tightrope, but he handled the responsibility and the challenge pretty adroitly. He’s already learning from Diego Simeone, isn’t he?
NONI MADUEKE
Superb run and cross for the opening goal. Delayed the cross until the perfect moment, displaying great understanding with Watkins and remained a thorn in Greece’s side in England’s enormously bright start. Turned Kostas Tsimikas on the outside and inside for the 57 minutes the Liverpool man spent on the pitch. Really bright display, running himself into the ground before making way for Jarrod Bowen.
JUDE BELLINGHAM
Wonderful ball to release Noni Madueke and take three Greece players out of the equation in the build-up to the opening goal, then got himself needlessly booked for arguing with the referee. Very late-2024 Bellingham, that. But he revelled in the freedom Greece inexplicably afforded him in that first half, frequently releasing both Madueke and Anthony Gordon to wreak havoc.
This was the Bellingham we all want to see, though, pulling strings and influencing games. Hit the post early in the second half with a really difficult header, and when his driving run and shot later produced the same result the ball ricocheted in off the unfortunate Vlachodimos.
Seems like it’s been really quite a long while since we’ve seen this kind of all-round Bellingham performance. It was most welcome.
ANTHONY GORDON
Brilliant early run past Lazaros Rota set the stall for England’s vibrant, rapid attacking play in those first 20 minutes, but the cross was just behind Ollie Watkins. Might have been perfect for the slower Harry Kane. Had plenty more of those moments – if perhaps not quite so many as Madueke – in one of his more encouraging England displays before making way for debutant Morgan Rogers midway through the second half.
OLLIE WATKINS
Controversially preferred to Harry Kane for his greater mobility and pace, he then proceeded to score the most Kane-for-England goal imaginable, with the possible exception of a penalty. Made his run then cleverly checked to almost allow the space to come to him before turning the ball home as Kane has done at least 25 times in his England career. Lovely, clever forward play at the end of a lovely, clever move, and he remained a key figure in England’s impressive start. Faded with the rest of England’s attack after the early minutes of the second half, prompting Lee Carsley to replace that entire front three. Which worked out pretty well.
SUBSTITUTES
LEWIS HALL (for Konsa, 46′)
A left-footed left-back! Playing at left-back! For England! The injury that forced the reshuffle that got Hall on the pitch was unwelcome, of course, but nice to know that England fans can occasionally have a left-footer out there, as a little treat. Rico Lewis also looked far happier when back on his familiar right flank in that second half, but the big takeaway was surely that Hall has to be ahead of Lewis – and any other right-back, frankly – in the left-back pecking order.
HARRY KANE (for Watkins, 67′)
The old man was wheeled out to see things home in the final quarter of the game. Didn’t really do all that much, in truth. The decision to leave him out of the starting line-up had the potential to be a big old stick with which to beat Lee Carsley, but it never.
MORGAN ROGERS (for Gordon, 67′)
There are a lot of England debuts these days, aren’t there? Makes us feel very old.
JARROD BOWEN (for Madueke, 67′)
Lovely little return pass to Morgan Gibbs-White in the build-up to the third goal that put the result to bed.
MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE (for Gallagher, 79′)
You’d have to think that third goal might be Lee Carsley’s favourite moment in his brief yet eventful few months as England manager. Two of his U21 stars combined to such devastating effect as Gibbs-White and Jones did. There was obviously plenty of luck about England’s second goal, but the first and third really were lovely stuff.
