Righteo, that’s us done for now. Thanks for your company and comments, enjoy the rest of the weekend – our report will be up here and on the site very shortly. Later.
Updated
Gareth Southgate notes that Saka was given a fabulous reception by the crowd and how popular he is with the team. He doesn’t think Saka needed closure but hopes that was it if he’s wrong. Otherwise, he says that Andorra are good at denying space and goals against them often come late so you need to keep them working by keeping the ball moving.
Elsewhere, Will Unwin is getting this one away.
“I’m glad he enjoyed the win, he’s not getting many at club level,” chortles Roy Keane.
Bukayo Saka says the goal was the perfect birthday present, so the interviewer reminds him of the worst moment of his life, missing that penalty at the same end. Saka deadbats, saying he appreciated the response from the crowd so Gabriel goes again, and he says he dreamed of playing in front of the crowd and scoring on his birthday. He is a beautifully composed young man.
Jesse Lingard had a decent game tonight, which makes it even more odd that he’s not going to be playing every week this season. One of the reasons I like him as West Ham is that he’s very good in a counter-attacking team, but his invention around the box and in front of a massed defence was also decent today.
“These young players are a tremendous prospect for the future,” emails Paul Janaway. “They are exciting and they play for each other, exactly what England needed.”
Yup, I agree with that, and there are loads more backed up behind them. The question is whether Southgate is wedded to those he already likes, or will be flexible as the picture changes.
Updated
England are good now, good enough to ease past pretty much every side in world football bar the top few. I don’t think we learned much today, and I doubt we see many changes to what we know if Southgate’s first XI in the course of this qualifying campaign; I expect the plan is to just play better while assuming a youngish side improves. I’m not certain that’s the wisest approach, but I do see the rationale.
Full-time: England 4-0 Andorra
Five out of five for England in Group I, who lead it by six points. Andorra, meanwhile, stay second bottom.
90+3 min My internet drops out, returning in time for me to see Rubio getting booked for a foul. He too misses Andorra’s next game.
90+2 min “I know it’s up to the big teams to outplay them,” says David Hopkins, “but teams like Andorra and San Marino really are rotten to watch now they’ve learnt the dark arts. Time wasting, diving, playacting from the first minute to the last. They’ve lost whatever minnows’ charm they might have had.”
I dunno, I feel like the minnows have always done that and so have the big fish.
90+1 min Albania now lead Hungary 1-0, a decent result for England if we pretend to ourselves that their qualification for Qatar is in jeopardy.
90 min There’ll be three added minutes.
89 min England win a corner and Mings attacks it, hurling himself into the air and over his man to head high over the bar.
88 min Alexander-Arnold stretches down the right and cuts back for Lingard, goal and hat-trick gaping ... can a hat-trick gape? ... but when he hammer the decisive blow, Garcia gets in the road!
86 min Andorra send on Cervos and Lima, the latter winning his 131st cap, for San Nicolas and Vieira.
86 min It was Mings booked just a moment ago, and he misses the game in Poland on Wednesday night.
GOAL! England 4-0 Andorra (Saka 85)
What were you doing on your 20th birthday? Scoring for England, probably not, but that’s what Bukayo Saka has just done! Alexander-Arnold takes the corner short – we’ve seen that one before – and Lingard, inside the box down the right, hammers across the face for Saka, who pulls away from his man and around a ball that’s behind him, directing his header past Moreira.
Updated
84 min Grealish takes short to Lingard, whose cross goes beyond the back post, but England pick up the loose ball and Kane wins a further corner.
84 min Grealish clips into space for Mount, down the left of the box, and he takes the easy corner that’s on offer.
83 min Someone, Grealish I think, has been booked for something, but our commentators aren’t sure and nor am I.
Updated
82 min “67,177 in here,” returns Philip Cornwall, so I did indeed mishear, but that’s still a helluva lot of people.
81 min The offside flag has saved a lot of England embarrassment tonight and Kane is the latest beneficiary, Grealish picking him out on the edge of the six-yard box only for him to bungle a shin against the post. The linesman has a serious shout as man of the match.
80 min Fernandez backs into Coady and collapses in a heap.
GOAL! England 3-0 Andorra (Lingard 78)
This is a lovely goal, Saka moving it from centre to right, whereupon Lingard takes a touch to open the angle, then toe-pokes a knuckleball, if that’s linguistically possible, that skips off the turf right in front of the keeper and into the corner.
77 min I think they just announced the attendance as 70,000 and something, which is a helluva lot of people, all things considered.
Updated
75 min Kane now has 40 England goals which means he’s is only 13 behind Rooney’s England record. He’s going to absolutely obliterate that total if he stays fit.
74 min Two more changes for Andorra: Garcia replaces Rubio and Martinez replaces Clemente.
73 min I think that’s the 14th successive qualifier in which Kane has scored. He’s a relentless flat-track bully, and I mean that as the highest of compliments – all the great strikers are.
GOAL! England 2-0 Andorra (Kane pen, 72)
Kane spanks low into the bottom left and though the keeper guesses right, he’s nowhere near.
Updated
71 min PENALTY TO ENGLAND!
Lovely interplay between Mount and Grealish, the former finding the latter who moves goalwards off the left then slides a beautifully-disguised reverse-return, allowing Mount to send the defender out for a bag of badger’s spleens as he ducks outside him. But as he opens his body to shoot, he’s shoved in the back by Garcia and that’s an easy call for the ref.
Updated
70 min This wasn’t terrible in the first half, but it’s making up for that now.
69 min I said this at the start and I’m saying it again: England should be much better than they are, but I’m not sure their manager knows how to deploy flair and invention.
68 min Coady drills a fine ball out to Grealish down the left, but his first touch is bum and forces him backwards, where he has to settle for a throw.
67 min Change for Andorra, Sanchez replaced by Fernandez.
66 min “Lee Clark’s 16-year-old son has just signed for Liverpool having left NUFC’s academy,” returns Reuven Fletcher. “Lee might get to live out his England career vicariously if Bobby is the prospect many say he is.”
I thought Bobby said he’d only play for Wallsend Boys. Can’t trust anyone these days.
65 min Trippier looks to curl the free-kick, 40 yards out, towards the far side of the box but overhits it and Andorra clear.
64 min Rubio hacks at Saka and is booked.
62 min Kane and Mount combine to find Lingard, who slides a ball through for Saka ... he’s in! But his loft over the advancing Moreira is smothered by the keeper, then the flag goes up because he went too early.
62 min I think I saw Mount telling Lingard to go into the hole, with Alexander-Arnold relocated to number six.
Updated
61 min On come Mount, Grealish and Kane; off go Bellingham, James and Bamford.
60 min Kane, Grealish and others are getting stripped, which makes sense because England haven’t created many chances tonight.
59 min Alexander-Arnold finds Bellingham down the right and he sticks a low cross into the corridor, but no one’s anywhere near it, Bamford having peeled off for the cut-back.
58 min England continue to probe, but they’ve not moved the ball quickly enough so far this half.
57 min “Any chance you can tell Niall Mullen to stop emailing and to WhatsApp his old mate (me) as I’m sat waiting for a train in GLASGOW, please?” says Reuven Fletcher. “It seems all he ever does is email Guardian Sport now!”
A common affliction. Wait til you see what it does to his spelling.
56 min Also in this group, Hungary and Albania are still 0-0.
55 min ““God save the Queen,” says Mary Waltz. “national anthem or Sex Pistols?”
Same thing, no?
55 min Bamford knocks down another cross, which Lingard shanks over the bar.
54 min Siri, what were the early 90s?
52 min A fine diag from Henderson picks out Saka, now down the right, and his low cross looks good for Bamford but Garcia slides in to make a decent challenge.
51 min “If this quiz is still live,” says Elliot Carr-Barnsley of Le Tournoi, “it’s Lee Clark, and furthermore he was the only player at that competition never to play international football.”
Cor-rect. I remember reading an interview with Lee Clark when he broke though, saying that if ever Newcastle didn’t want him, he’d just go and play for Gateshead ... then he signed for Sunderland. Ah, the innocence of youth.
49 min James, incidentally, is going to be a brilliant player. I know Southgate loves Walker, but James is as good a defender and way better going forward, so integrating him is crucial to the development of the side.
48 min Reece James has moved into midfield which makes sense – England don’t need four defenders and here is James, picking up possession 25 yards from goal, moving central from left, and caressing a curler that splatters the bar!
Updated
47 min Mings clips a long ball over the top and Bellingham gets to it before Moreira, heading down, and Bamford lashes way over the bar. That was his chance, and eh’ll presumably be delighted to see the flag go up.
46 min Goodness me, the crowd are singing God Save the Queen. I’ve heard some bad football songs in my time, but this is easily the worst, in pretty much every aspect.
46 min We go again...
The players are back with us...
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
Real problems for the Brazil v Argentina game, due to kick off in 2 hours.
— Tim Vickery (@Tim_Vickery) September 5, 2021
The Brazilian health authorities want the immediate deportation of Argentina's 4 Premier League players - three of whom are set to start the game....
.... the problem is, it seems, that any non-Brazilian who has been in the UK in the last 14 days has to serve a 14 day quarantine period.
— Tim Vickery (@Tim_Vickery) September 5, 2021
It is alleged that the 4 players did not report the fact that they had been in the UK
the rules are being followed - football inside South America has been getting a 'pass' - but this special exemption does not apply to those coming from the UK
— Tim Vickery (@Tim_Vickery) September 5, 2021
it all shows how badly this whole thing has been planned and thought out.
— Tim Vickery (@Tim_Vickery) September 5, 2021
The solution was so simple
Use the time spent playing the Copa (an extra Copa) to catch up with World Cup qualifiers
Half-time email: “Andorra have battled gamely to resist England’s pressure,” says Peter Oh, “but a couple of goals early in the second half will surely bring them to their Pyrenees.”
Agree, they can’t be alped.
Love it, @JesseLingard 👏pic.twitter.com/8Pe3qylcCA
— England (@England) September 5, 2021
While we wait for the players to suck their orange quarters, get to know Andorra.
Half-time: England 1-0 Andorra
This has gone exactly as expected, England good enough to go in front but Andorra defending pretty well.
45+3 min Alexander-Arnold flights well over the top.
45+3 min Rebes hacks Saka down and is booked – he too misses the next game – and Alexander-Arnold eases Saka out of the road to take a free-kick from the edge of the box, left of centre.
45+2 min “Niall Mullen got mentioned six minutes apart,” says Colin Mackenzie, also sending the email to Rob Smyth on OBO duty – I assume he means on there and on here. “That’s impressive. Though of course, I’m secretly hoping I beat it with this.”
In case writers get into the Guinness Book of Records too, I’m doing my bit.
Updated
45 min There’ll be three added minutes, which begin with Rubio taking so long over a throw that the ref confiscates it from him, giving the ball to England instead.
43 min Andorra have a free-kick just inside the England half but don’t hump into the box, and England get the ball away easily enough.
41 min “My favourite ever England goal was Dave Nugent’s one cap one goal against Andorra,” says Edan Tal. “I hope Bamford can make just as big a mark in case he doesn’t get another chance.”
I reckon he will but agree he’ll be expecting a goal here. I can’t seem to find Paul Goddard’s against Iceland in 1982, but here’s Danny Wallace’s against Egypt in 1986, other one cap one goal situations.
Updated
40 min Bellingham harries in the Andorran box so that a long cross isn’t cleared properly, the ball eventually dropping to James who lashes over the top.
39 min Moreira punches Trippier’s free-kick clear.
38 min Lingard leaps to control down the left, knowing that he’s getting to the ball ahead of Vales, the two-goal hero from the SanMarino game. He wears the inevitable hack and Vales is booked, so misses Andorra’s next game.
37 min Alexander-Arnold power-strokes a terrific, er, diag for Bellingham, who controls, steps inside, and instead of seeking the far corner goes for the near, which the keeper has covered. The shot scoots wide.
37 min “I feel sorry for England fans watching this tediously predictable game,” returns Niall Mullen. “If it was my beloved Ireland against Andorra then any result would be possible.”
You think Ireland could beat them?
35 min Trippier sends the free-kick to the back post and Bamford hangs to knock back across, where Coady vaults into an overhead ... that flies only just over the top.
Updated
33 min Lingard does really well to accept a pass on the half-turn, Zidane-style, easing away from Garcia Gonzalez before Vieira nails him. Both are hurt, the Andorran man more so, and he accepts some physio while Lingard gets up.
32 min England are moving the ball pretty well and also attacking the space they find, Alexander-Arnold the latest to run in behind only to find he can’t control a difficult pass.
30 min This is better, Saka measuring a lovely ball looking for Bamford at the back post, his extended leg just too short to impart a meaningful finish.
29 min I assumed that Lingard and Saka are playing on their natural sides to keep the width, but actually the plan seems to be for both to attack the box, most particularly looking for clips in behind. In which case, I’m not sure why they’re not inverted, and as I type that, Henderson remonstrates with the latter for not anticipating a pass so well-disguised it could’ve lived at 52 Festive Road.
28 min On reflection, I guess we can explain Lingard’s Ronaldo tribute thusly.
26 min Lingard is making a lot of third-man runs past Bamford, and Henderson tries to meet one with a pass over the top. But there’s just too much on it, and the flag goes up anyhow.
25 min I’m not sure Sam Johnstone has touched the ball yet.
24 min Two hooked clearances, neither of them clean, see the ball drop for Henderson at the right corner of the box and he can’t help but take a swing, sending his shot high and wide.
23 min Bellingham is the best player on this pitch by a colossal distance. It’s incredible really, that when he and Haaland were going for relative cheap, only two clubs seemed to be in for them.
21 min Bamford picks up a poor defensive header and flicks in behind for Lingard, who hoists a luscious chip over Moreira and into the net, but I’m sure he was a couple of yards offside ... and up goes the flag.
20 min You’ve got to admire Lingard’s mindset, because Ronaldo’s arrival puts paid any chance he had of establishing himself in United’s first XI. But a meme is a meme.
GOAL! England 1-0 Andorra (Lingard 18)
Siuuuu! Lovely feet from Bellingham outside the Andorra box, rolling studs over ball, backwards then forwards at an angle, to work space for Lingard. He finds Saka and moves into the box then, when the resultant cross is deflected into his path, controls well and drags a finish into the corner from 10 yards before celebrating, Ronaldo-style.
Updated
17 min I take it back, partially. The flag went up for offside, presumably against Lingard, and the shot flicked the inside of the defender’s thigh, though it shouldn’t have done.
16 min WHAT A MISS! Bellingham slides a decent ball down the side for Lingard who, on the by-line, swivels into a decent cut-back for Saka; he must score! But his shot megs the defender and goes wide! Eesh, that was not good.
15 min Andorra have disappeared the first 15 pretty effectively, Vieira seeing off some more when he induces a wild swing of the leg from Alexander-Arnold.
14 min ...then Trippier, stood next to the ball, flips over the top and Lingard, back to goal, chests down for Saka. But it takes its time to drop and Andorra crowd England out, then the flag goes up for offside.
13 min Andorra have their line of five on the edge, then their line of three five yards in front of that; England are struggling to penetrate, but win a free-kick 35 yards from goal. It’s probably too far for a shy, but Alexander-Arnold looks like he fancies it anyway...
11 min On Lingard, I’m not totally sure why he stayed at United. Perhpos they priced him out of a move, and I’m sure he’d like to force his way into the first XI reckoning. But that’s never happening, and at his age he needs to play every week, not come off the bench or wait for the Rumbelows.
10 min nice from England, Bamford coming deep and turning around the corner for Lingard, haring towards the box ... but Moreira comes out to smother.
10 min “OK trivia buffs” emails Ben Raza, “if we’re including Le Tournoi as a proper tournament, who is the only player to win a tournament with England without ever winning a full cap?”
I actually think I know this one, but I’ll keep schtum for the now.
8 min Garcia is down holding his lower shin – he slid in to clear, catching Bamford – and the physio comes on.
7 min England knock out about, probing for gaps, and Trippier clips a decent ball over the top for Bellingham, who collects near the line, does brilliantly to control and keep his feet, then again - he is going to be such a player, ok he already is such a player – but England still has to go backwards.
5 min And his kick swerves just beyond Bamford who’s beyond the back post, and flies behind.
4 min Saka controls a long pass near the corner flag – he appears to be on the left for now – and Rubio ploughs through him, so Trippier will stick a free-kick into the box....
3 min Lingard finds Bellingham, who dinks over the for Alexander-Arnold, inside the Andorra box, dead centre. He leaps and chests-down well, but England can’t win the second ball and concede a free-kick.
1 min Interesting team,” emails Niall Mullen. “Seemingly Southgate is prioritising the league over the Carabao. I’m not sure that’s the way to end 56 years of trophyless hurt.”
I think you’re forgetting the glorious Tournoi victory of 1997.
1 min And off we go!
The players take a knee.
The England fans have a banner supporting Sancho, Rashford and, on his 20th birthday, Saka. I still can’t quite believe that Southgate gave the former two just a minute each to acclimatise nor that he didn’t want them on sooner given England needed a goal, nor that Saka was given the fifth kick having never taken one before and knowing the temperature of the country. But here we are.
There’s a lot going on elsewhere, and you’d expect we’ve got you.
Apparently not. But we don’t play by the rules here!
Sweet Caroline was banging on the PA, so in the spirit of sustaining the summer, please can we have the Italian anthem too?
Here come the teams...
When I look at the England team, I can’t help but want a better partner for Maguire than Stones, who’s a good player but lacks the pace you need to keep the line as high as you’d want. Perhaps Ben White will be that man, but he’ll need to do a lot to win that spot because Southgate is hard to shake off his preferences.
Roy Keane is pleased to see Bellingham, noting that midfielders shouldn’t be “holding” or “attacking”, but able to do everything. On which point, here’s something to read about England’s best ever in that aspect.
Southgate says the players showed in Hungary that they’re focused and onto the next challenge, and tonight that’ll be penetrating a deep defence – Andorra are good at keeping the score down. On Bamford, he says it’s a chance for him, then confirms that Alexander-Arnold starts in midfield. They’ve been wanting to try him there for a while, for Liverpool he’s been swapping positions with Harvey Elliott, and they want him to play the role his way, drifting wide to create chances.
ITV reckon it’s Alexander-Arnold in midfield, and there’s a fair chance they’ve been tipped off in that regard. I’m not sure he’s the answer - England need control and I don’t think he’s that – but another route to goal is helpful, and I’m certain Hazza Kane would appreciate the service.
“Heard on Olympic Way,” emails my production editor Philip Cornwall. “‘Who put the ball in the racists’ net? Who put the ball in the racists’ net? Who put the ball in the racists’ net? Raheem [expletive deleted] Sterling.’ Of course, experience shows you could sing the same chant if Sterling had the misfortune to score an own goal and we look a bit ridiculous trying to claim the moral high ground after our last game here, but at least it’s an England chant partly about football.”
Agreed in all aspects. We need to make sure we direct our outrage internally, because we’re part of this.
“Probably the best present I could’ve asked for,” says birthday boy Patrick Bamford. He always believed in himself and is treating it like any other game, something that’s aided by the presence of his teammate, Kalvin Phillips – “he’s done fantastic,” says Bamford, showing that even though he went private school he still speaks fluent football. Sorry Patrick, sorry everyone, I promised I’d not mention that but here we are.
Let’s not forget what happened to England’s players of colour in Budapest on Friday night, nor the role of the respective countries’ prime ministers in all this.
Congratulations to Fidesz and Viktor Orban on winning the elections in Hungary. We look forward to working with our Hungarian friends to further develop our close partnership. #UKandHungary
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2018
It is completely unacceptable that @England players were racially abused in Hungary last night.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 3, 2021
I urge @FIFAcom to take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behaviour is eradicated from the game for good.
As for Andorra, they beat San Marino 2-0 on Thursday and make seven changes from then. Going out: Cervos, Alavedra, Martinez Palau, Moreno, Alaez, Pujol and Fernandez; coming in: Vales, Chus Rubio, Clemente, Rebes, Rubio, Sanchez, Vieira.
Other hand, it’s great to see Bellingham starting, and I hope Southgate is planning for him to be a first XI player by Qatar. A holder, a box-to-boxer and a creator is a better combination than two holders and a creator, all the more so when that box-to-boxer is better than both of the holders.
I’m not totally sold on the inclusion of Bamford, though it’s great for him and he’s earned his spot. He’s 28 today, and the chances of him making a serious impact at a tournament are minimal - the only serious consideration, given how easy qualifying has been made for the better teams. The likelihood is that he’s only playing because Calvert-Lewin is injured, but Mason Greenwood is already streets ahead of both.
Looking at England XI, it’s not entirely clear how they’ll play. It might be the 4-3-3 set out below, but it’s equally feasible that Trippier or James start on the right of a back three. I hope, though, that Alexander-Arnold is in midfield because that would indicate an acknowledgement that the trio who started that Italy final, though good, are not good enough to boss games and something different is required.
Before we take a closer look at the line-ups, we should note that a Gareth Bale hat-trick, featuring two penalties and an injury-time winner, gave Wales a 3-2 victory in Belarus.
Teams!
England (4-3-3, at a guess): Johnstone; James, Coady, Mings, Trippier; Henderson, Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham; Saka, Bamford, Lingard. Subs: Walker, Pope, Shaw, Stones, Maguire, Rice, Phillips, Mount, Kane, Sterling, Pickford, Grealish.
Andorra (5-3-2): Gomes Moreira; Rubio Gomez, Llovera Gonzalez, Vales Gonzalez, Garcia Gonzalez, San Nicolas; Clemente Garces, Rebes Ruiz, Rubio Gomez; Snaches Alburquerque; Vieria de Vaconcelos. Subs: Martinez Alejo, Garcia Miramontes, Lima Sola, Vieira de Vasconcelos, Moreno Marin, Alvarez de Eulate Molne, Pires Costa, Martinez Palau, Cervos Moro, Fernandez Betriu, Garcia Renom, Bernaz Cuadros.
Updated
Preamble
England should’ve won the Euros – apologies if it’s too soon to say that. Obviously Italy were worthy champions, but after taking the lead in the second minute, the home side’s decision to spend 118 more sitting back and hoping was not the best of which they were capable, likewise their performances in beating Germany and Denmark. It doesn’t matter how ludicrous your bench is if your manager is reluctant to use it, in thrall to his undeniably excellent first choices.
Of course, there are reasons. Gareth Southgate doesn’t entirely trust his defence, doesn’t think he’s a midfield capable of controlling big games, and doesn’t believe in his spare attackers as much as he believes in Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. But it remains the case that for England to improve, those things need to change, and there are players good enough to make that happen – if he lets them.
The team he’ll pick for today’s game probably won’t reflect that, but we can expect to see Jude Bellingham given a go, and it may be he who holds the key to the improvement required. Ultimately, a midfield base of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips lacks the imagination and craft necessary to dictate play, but if yerman replaces one or t’other and it works, everything changes.
Kick-off: 5pm BST
