England’s long hot summer of 2017 is stretching through into the even longer cold winter of 2018 as Aidy Boothroyd’s under-21s, semi-finalists in the European Championship in Poland last June, won impressively against a dangerous Romania side at Molineux on Saturday night.
After a year in which England won gold at under-17, under-19 and under-20 levels, goals from Demarai Gray and Jake Clarke-Salter enabled the under-21s to stretch their good run to one defeat in 11 games after a friendly that should prove ideal preparation for Tuesday’s Euro 2019 qualifier against Ukraine at Bramall Lane.
Gray was made captain on a night when the West Midlands paid their respects to the late Cyrille Regis, who died in January.
Boothroyd was keen to boost the Birmingham-born Gray, who has endured an in-and-out time at Leicester and seen his age-group team-mates Lewis Cook, Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham win call-ups to Gareth Southgate’s senior England squads.
“Solanke was supposed to be the captain but he took a knock yesterday,” Boothroyd said. “In a tribute to Cyrille Regis I thought it would only be right for a local boy to take the armband. And it was a captain’s performance until I took him off to save him for Ukraine on Tuesday. He deserved his goal – he was absolutely terrific – and he also has leadership qualities.”
Gray and Tammy Abraham were only two survivors in the starting line-up from the squad that took Germany to penalties in Poland, but there was a majority who knew how it feels to win a tournament. This squad contained 15 winners from last summer’s triumphant junior sides and they set about Romania with zeal.
Gray was clearly intent on capitalising on his opportunity. With freedom to roam from his left-sided role, the former Birmingham winger received a lay-off from Ademola Lookman in the eighth minute and cut inside before releasing a shot that deflected off Alex Pascanu – his club-mate at Leicester – and into the near corner of the net.
Romania are also well in contention for Italy 2019 at the top of Group 8 and, with Gheorge Hagi’s son Ianis pulling the strings from the family position at No 10, they created moments when England’s desire to play out from the back was severely tested.
The visitors would have equalised midway through the first half if Clarke-Salter, having got into a mix up with his fellow Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori, had not deflected Andrei Ivan’s shot on to the post to atone.
Abraham, the third of Chelsea’s loaned players in the England lineup, headed against the crossbar from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s right-wing cross after an excellent move in which Dowell’s clever backheel made the space out wide.
Lookman, evidently benefiting from the action he is getting in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, was England’s standout offensive player and he shot against the post before Radu touched the ball behind. From Alexander-Arnold’s corner, Clarke-Salter headed in and England’s win looked secure.
But Dean Henderson flapped at Hagi’s free-kick and Valentin Ciobanu made it 2-1 13 minutes from time, leaving England to throw bodies in the way of shots to hang on for the win.
“We take lots of lessons out of that,” Boothroyd said, “but some of our stuff was breathtaking at times. We want to play a possession-based game. We think it’s important to play through the thirds of the pitch and have goalkeepers that can handle the ball. [But] we’ve got to be clever with our match management.”
