Roy Hodgson's honeymoon is over and Tom Cleverley was given a rude reality check after missing a number of chances.
Uncomfortable display means honeymoon is over
England
remain unbeaten, penalty shoot-outs aside, under Roy Hodgson, but the
honeymoon period is clearly over. This occasion offered up many of the
more sobering aspects of life in charge of the national team: a red card
for the captain, Steven Gerrard, briefly announced as the sponsors’ man
of the match; a Jermain Defoe goal harshly disallowed; a flurry of
other cautions; classy opponents cutting swathes on the counter against a
jittery defence. Salvaging a draw felt like an achievement. Ukraine
are ranked 39th in the world while England, albeit mystifyingly, are
third, yet all Hodgson’s team could offer was huff and puff until their
luck turned late on. Next month’s trip to Poland, another threat, feels
horribly awkward.
