Match report
A grim spectacle, but a win’s a win as far as England are concerned. For now. Harry Kane’s goal put a gloss on the evening, but it can’t really mask how poor that was and how much work England have to do after sealing their place at next summer’s World Cup. Yes, players were missing, but the lack of any fluency or creativity must be a huge concern for Gareth Southgate. Can he sort it out? The jury’s out on that one. As for Slovenia, they need a win against Scotland at home on Sunday evening to stand a chance of finishing second. Thanks for reading and emailing. Night.
Full-time: England 1-0 Slovenia
England have qualified for the World Cup thanks to Harry Kane’s last-minute winner. Wembley greets this development with muted cheers.
90 min+6: Slovenia try to muster a response. But Ilicic’s shot is blocked. England look to counter and Birsa’s booked for fouling Henderson. Birsa will miss Sunday’s game against Scotland.
GOAL! England 1-0 Slovenia (Kane 90 min+4)
In their desperation to attack, Slovenia concede. Oblak, knowing they need a goal after the news from Scotland, throws the ball out to the left and Walker’s sharp enough to win possession. Slovenia are all over the place. Walker curls a cross into the six-yard box and Kane gets in front of his marker to turn the ball past the despairing Oblak, who can’t stop the ball trickling over the line despite his best efforts. England are definitely going to Russia!
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90 min+3: Walker’s fizzing low drive is held by Oblak, who immediately tries to set Slovenia on the attack. But...
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90 min+2: “How much longer will people come to watch this stuff?” says Nick T. “I pride myself on being able (and willing) to watch any game of football, but it’s too much isn’t this? And then there is Germany on the other side actually looking like they....well they are really good aren’t they....oh football.”
I’m a football journalist and I would be watching Bojack Horseman if I wasn’t working.
90 min: Scotland have taken the lead against Slovakia, meaning Slovenia could really do with a goal. It doesn’t change anything for England. They’re still going through if this ends as a draw. There will be six added minutes.
88 min: A pitch invader. The stewards cheer, the crowd cheers ironically and eventually the moron’s apprehended.
87 min: Verbic wriggles clear from Stones, then he finds Row Z with a shot from the edge of the area.
86 min: Struna’s booked.
85 min: Michael Keane replaces Raheem Sterling. England have gone to three at the back. Respect the point? It’s like Allardyce never went away.
84 min: England, not realising a draw will do at this point, are really open. Ilicic is granted a lot of space in the middle. Far too much. Where’s Dier? Nowhere to be seen. Ilicic is thus able to cut England open with a glorious pass through to the marginally offside Matavz, who turns out to be even slower than an England attack. He chunters forward, the ball always getting away from him, and that allows Hart to scramble out and sprawl at the big striker’s feet, just getting there first. The ball clatters out to the onrushing Struna, but Hart denies him as well and by then the whistle’s already blown; I’m not sure why. What a let-off for England!
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82 min: Hart has gone down. He’s having treatment on his right calf.
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80 min: Ilicic, who’s delivered plenty of inviting balls from the left tonight, swings another into the England area. It only needs a touch from someone in the middle, but no one’s there. He’s a very good player. “England have been their best when there was a tactical plan,” says Phil Sawyer. “Ramsey’s wingless wonders, Venables’ Christmas Tree, Hoddle’s counter attackers. Robson’s (slightly thrust upon him) sweeper system in 1990. For the last twenty years you’d struggle to define what England’s plan actually is. I think the opprobrium directed towards the players passim is actually misleading - they can’t be be that bad and survive in the Premier League - but I think we are still awaiting the tactical plan to unlock their potential. Gareth Southgate does not appear to be the person to unpick that Gordian knot.”
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79 min: Sterling runs the ball out for a goal-kick. There are a few boos. Slovenia make their final change, Tim Matavz replacing Rajko Rotman. Matavz is a big striker. Slovenia are going for it.
76 min: It’s still Scotland 0-0 Slovakia at Hampden Park. As it stands, this point is taking England to Russia. I’m not sure there’ll be too many celebrations at the final whistle, though.
73 min: Rashford’s corner’s claimed by Oblak. And then, a strange incident. Cesar collapses on the edge of the Slovenia area, with plenty of visiting players alleging Stones has done something untoward. A feisty debate ensues and the referee has to calm everyone down. Stones is fuming. The replay shows he was being pushed by a couple of Slovenia players as he ran back and ended up shoving Cesar over. The Slovenia centre-back milked that for all it was worth. The referee tells everyone to stop behaving like children.
72 min: Slovenia are starting to tire. England sense an opening might arrive. They’re pushing hard. Kane’s cross is turned behind by the stretching Mevlja.
71 min: Jan Repas replaces Roman Bezjak.
68 min: Rashford causes problems on the left, breaking at high speed before prodding a pass into Sterling. His shot’s blocked by Cesar and Kane screws a shot just wide with his left foot. England are improving. Lingard’s making a difference with clever movement.
67 min: Kane skews a shot miles over.
65 min: Bertrand flashes a low ball into the six-yard box. It’s cleared by Cesar, who jumps up quickly to divert Sterling’s goalbound follow-up wide! Sterling can’t believe it. I know, Raheem, I wasn’t expecting to see any excitement either.
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64 min: Jesse Lingard replaces the ineffective Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who did nothing apart from amuse Arsene Wenger.
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63 min: England hoof the ball clear and improbably Sterling wins an aerial duel with Jokic on the halfway line. The ball breaks kindly for him and England finally have room to attack. Sterling makes the right decision, rolling the ball to Rashford to the left, but the striker goes for an overly ambitious effort, scooping the ball over Oblak but failing to get enough purchase on the shot, allowing Rotman to make a comfortable clearance. That was a ridiculous decision from Rashford.
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62 min: Struna breaks down the right. Stones heads his cross behind.
61 min: Henderson’s cross flicks of Mevlja’s head and arrives too sharply for Kane to react, the ball bouncing off his knee and going behind.
60 min: Slovenia are really starting to play. They’re being given encouragement by England.
58 min: England used to be much more fun, didn’t it?
57 min: Nothing is happening. This is offensive. Still, Gareth has a nice suit. Birsa has replaced Storar.
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53 min: This is setting new standards of boredom.
52 min: “It seems Rashford is almost the only player on the pitch not sporting all or most of a beard,” says Robin Hazlehurst. “Is it because he is too hip, not hip enough, or simply too young?”
51 min: Rotman’s booked for cynically tripping Sterling from behind.
50 min: “As soon as Gareth Southgate roared defiance with his promise to finally deliver some quality to the fans only bad things were likely to happen,” says Ian Copestake. “Say what you like about the tenets of Roy Hodgson but at least it’s an ethos.”
48 min: Ilicic teases Bertrand on the right, making space for a deep cross to the far post. Jokic’s header back across goal takes a deflection off Cahill and Hart juggles the ball before a bit before holding on to it.
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46 min: Slovenia get the second half underway. “Not sure how long I can keep a straight face. What a classically dry England performance,” says Patrick Laredo. “We need a creative number 10 to act as the pivot between Henderson & Dier and those zippy wingers. I would be interested to see Winks come on in the centre for Henderson. A more imaginative box-to-box midfielder might free up some space in that stingy Slovenian defence.”
Half-time: England 0-0 Slovenia
Yawn.
45 min+1: Mevlja’s booked for tripping the surging Rashford. The angled doesn’t favour a shot, but Rashford tries to catch Oblak out at his near post with a sharp effort. The Slovenia keeper scrambles across to push it wide.
45 min: I suppose Adam Lallana would improve this team. And Jack Wilshere! Imagine what Wilshere could do if he stays fit!
44 min: Stones charges forward, looking every inch the new Franz Beckenbauer. Then he overruns the ball and clatters into Mevlja, earning a booking. Hmm. “I watched three minutes of Germany knocking it about with what one could only call elan (okay other positive descriptions are available) but it was so smooth and confident that I could not bear to watch it anymore,” says Ian Copestake. “The reassuring dross of English making-it-up-as-we-go-alongness had too strong a pull.”
41 min: From Rashford’s corner from the left, Sporar’s header loops just over. From the next corner, a free-kick’s awarded for pushing by England.
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40 min: “Walker taking a free kick is Southgate’s Kane taking corners moment,” says Paul Rowe. “Unbelievable when Rashford and Kane are on the pitch.”
@JacobSteinberg England’s issue is a lack of technical, ball playing CMs that don’t just go through the motions a la Henderson, Dier etc.
— AK (@KnowlesyCPFC) October 5, 2017
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39 min: England are starting to get annoyed. Slovenia are leaving a foot in, breaking up play, disrupting any hint of rhythm. “England’s weakest link is Dier. He provides absolutely nothing to this team,” says Ricky Gill. “If he’s a ball winning DM, he doesn’t recover the ball at all. If he’s a quarter-back then I haven’t seen him make a single forward pass. For all the flak Henderson gets, he offers exactly what Dier does and much more. They should play either a more aggressive midfielder who will win the ball up the field and create space for a deeper Henderson. Or a midfielder with better passing and ability to find space than Dier and let Henderson press further forward.”
38 min: Krhin’s booked for another late tackle on Henderson.
35 min: Kyle Walker, seemingly recovered, smacks a free-kick over from 25 yards. The search for the next David Beckham goes on.
33 min: “I see the field markings from what I’m guessing was an NFL game are still visible,” says JR in Illinois. “That is extremely poor. That sort of thing can be expected in the U.S. but it should not happen in The Home Of Football™.”
32 min: Kyle Walker’s down after picking up a knock. He gets back to his feet, but he’s moving gingerly.
31 min: Rashford links well with Sterling, but his shot’s blocked by Mevlja and the ball spins back to Oblak.
29 min: England have good strikers and some decent wingers, but they have absolutely no creativity.
26 min: England take the free-kick short, working it to the edge of the area for Henderson. It’s not clear if he’s fouled, but as he shoots he takes a swing and a miss, swiping through air and falling over. Good old England. Still, he saves face with a fine effort moments later. England attack again and Henderson, in space on the left of the Slovenia area, sends a vicious low drive swerving towards the bottom left corner, forcing Oblak to push the ball wide for a corner.
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25 min: Rashford goes for a Ronaldinho flip-flap, stroking the ball through Struna’s legs, and the right-back concedes a free-kick on the left with a clumsy bodycheck.
22 min: Kane wallops the free-kick into the wall. The ball comes back to him and he chips it out for a goal-kick.
21 min: Bezjak fouls Sterling 25 yards from goal. Sterling was a bit lucky to get the free-kick as his touch from Henderson’s pass was heavy.
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20 min: Sterling wallops one over from 30 yards. He’d better not it too high tonight, there’s no one in the upper tier.
19 min: Slovenia carry a threat whenever they break. Ilicic, who is a highly watchable player, lofts a lovely, imaginative cross into the area, where Bezjak has arrived unchecked from midfield. No one’s tracked him and no one’s marking him; he’s in between the two centre-backs, but he can’t quite make proper contact with his attempt to flick the ball in with the outside of his right boot.
18 min: Rashford slips a perceptive pass through to Bertrand, but Melja slides in to concede a corner. England take a short corner and Rashford’s cross is fielded by Oblak at the near post.
15 min: The jittery Hart plays Walker into trouble with a poor pass, the ball running to Storar. The Slovenia forward skips inside, on to his right foot, and shoots weakly at Hart from 18 yards/
14 min: Kane, who’s been quiet so far, shifts the ball on to his right foot and his first shot of the evening, curling it low towards the bottom right corner from 25 yards. Oblak makes a comfortable save.
13 min: Looking at the replay of that penalty appeal, Hart definitely didn’t touch the ball, which makes the award of a corner a curious decision. He did touch Ilicic, though.
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11 min: Suddenly alert and alive, Ilicic twists and turns and has a shot charged down from the right. Slovenia continue to press. Henderson’s down, meanwhile. He reckons he was caught by a Slovenia midfielder.
9 min: Slovenia mount a counter after Sterling loses possession in midfield. On the right, Sporar cleverly slices England open with a pass through to Ilicic. Hart rushes out but Ilicic is quicker than him and the England goalkeeper seems to catch the Slovenia forward, who looks inquisitively at the referee. It could easily be a penalty, even though Ilicic’s touch was heavy and he didn’t seem to be going anywhere, but the officials settle for a Slovenia corner.
8 min: Slovenia have come to defend. England will have to use their renowned passing ability and creative ingenuity to find a way through.
6 min: A series of England corners amount to nothing. Stones reckons he’s being held after the last one, but the German referee isn’t interested.
5 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain charges past Cesar on the right and wins a corner. On ITV, Clive Tyldesley says it looks like both England wingers have the beating of their markers in “leg races”. What other races do you see in a football match?
3 min: This is a positive start by England. Now Sterling has a dangerous dribble after a clever turn but his cutback from the byline’s cleared by Cesar.
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2 min: The first chance for Rashford to run at Struna on the left. The Slovenia right-back’s immediately in trouble against the youngster’s pace and he gives away a free-kick with a tug of the shirt. Nothing comes from the free-kick.
Peep! England, in white shirts and shorts and red socks, get the game underway. They’re kicking from right to left in the first half and there are so many empty seats. Slovenia are in dark green shirts and luminous green shorts.
Here come the times, marching out at a sparsely populated Wembley. Time for the anthems, then some football. England qualify if they win - or if they get a point and Scotland and Slovakia draw.
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Gareth Southgate speaks! “We want to give a good performance. We’re progressing as a team, we’ve got some exciting players. I said to the players it’s about time we give a performance that underlines the quality that we’ve got. We’ve got some players that are bang in form, particularly in an attacking sense.”
For England, the big miss tonight is the suspended Dele Alli, punished for that rogue middle finger. Game’s gone. That means Raheem Sterling comes into the side. England’s attack doesn’t look bad at all. It’s further back where they’re less convincing and it was interesting to hear Gareth Southgate say last week that there are players who don’t deserve to be in this squad based on their club form. Who do we think he was talking about?
Don’t think for a moment that this isn’t a big game for Slovenia too. They’re five points behind England in Group F, but they’re a point behind second-placed Slovakia and level with Scotland. They can still nab a play-off spot.
Pre-match emails
“Apart from Kane and Rashford who actually genuinely excited in this team?” Michael Frankel says. “Is the superstar footballer a thing of the past? Like your Madonna’s and Michael Jackson’s? God I miss Gazza!”
“What does it all prove?” David Acaster says. “That England have a group of solid but unspectacular professional footballers who can be relied on to qualify. After that getting out of their group is success. At present we have a glimmer of real hope, as Kane, Alli, Rashford and Stirling could all turn out to be special. Alternatively in three or four years time we could be laughing that anyone could have said that. As always it’s the hope that does me in.”
“Is this the least technical midfield England has ever mustered?” Steve Camahort says.
Slovenia have only just arrived at Wembley, it seems. They were meant to be there about 30 minutes ago.
Team news
England: Hart; Walker, Stones, Cahill, Bertrand; Dier, Henderson; Oxlade-Chamberlain; Sterling, Rashford; Kane.
Slovenia: Oblak; Struna, Mevlja, Cesar, Jokic; Bezjak, Krhin, Rotman, Verbic; Ilicic; Sporar.
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany).
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Preamble
Hello. England win, they go to the World Cup. As such, they’re already making plans for their stay in Russia. It’s a sign of the times, however, that no one’s getting too giddy about their chances next summer. There’s no triumphalism, no patriotic tub-thumping, no wild predictions. Everyone remembers Iceland; with that horror show still pungent in the memory, everyone will take it if they get through the tournament without the letters falling off the team bus and a croaky Gareth Southgate being handed a P45 by a comedian during the press conference before England’s first match.
It’s a year since Southgate took over from some other chap and in that time little has changed. England have mostly beaten the smaller sides, they’ve lost to the better ones and they’ve occasionally been involved in some stinkers. Southgate’s second match was a stinker, as it happens, and it was against tonight’s opponents, Slovenia, whose performance in that 0-0 draw at Stadion Stozice last year shows they’re not to be taken lightly. But with Harry Kane in monstrous form, England should have enough to pass this test. If not, they ought to get it done in Lithuania on Sunday. What it all proves, however, remains intriguingly unclear.
Kick-off: 7.45pm BST.
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