Chelsea Football Update: Hodgson's Under-21s thrash Scotland

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Hodgson's Under-21s thrash Scotland

• England Under-21s 6-0 Scotland Under-21s

• Goals: Redmond, Sterling, Wickham, Barkley, Shelvey, Carroll

The exorcism of the England Under-21 debacle at the summer's European Championship started here.

Nathan Redmond's slick third-minute opener was matched by Raheem Sterling's later strike to make it two-nil at the break courtesy of the wide men in Roy Hodgson's 4-2-3-1.

Connor Wickham, Ross Barkley, Jonjo Shelvey, and Tom Carroll completed the rout for Hodgson's team in the second half; the head of the senior side having been drafted in for one night only due to Stuart Pearce's replacement still being sought as the Football Association assess candidates.

Pearce's team had flown home from Israel at the earliest stage after being ejected from Euro 2013 with a dire record of no points won and one goal registered, with the depressing sense that England's future could be particularly bleak.

The sight of Nathaniel Chalobah requiring a stretcher for a knee injury following a tackle by Tony Watt before the break was also unedifying, with the Chelsea man having pulled the midfield strings, alongside Shelvey.

Regarding the European disintegration, the goalkeeper, Jack Butland, said: "Israel was really tough for everyone who went there, but it is going to make us stronger. It was a hard experience and it's one that we don't want to repeat."

Hodgson spoke of this being a unique chance for him and his assistant, Ray Lewington, to work with the nation's best youngsters at close hand, a sentiment echoed by Butland, who this season hopes to offer a serious challenge to Asmir Begovic as the Stoke City goalkeeper.

"It's a very unique opportunity for the new lads that have come into the squad to make a good impression and also for the lads that have been in there before to try and impress the senior management," Butland said. "It's an exciting time for everyone, especially the new caps coming into the set-up who haven't been in before, they can now express what they've got and impress the manager."

This was a contest the FA billed on the programme cover as "Looking Forward, Roy and Ray step up to run the rule over the Under-21s as they enter a new era". But with Scottish football's quality deficit well documented this friendly, part of the FA"s 150th year celebrations, was more akin to a training ground run-out, the visitors offering scant resistance.

Shelvey, though, in particular can feel proud of the display of sprayed passes and crafty positional sense that he turned in. The Swansea City midfielder capped his night with a belting 25-yard strike that made it 5-0 to Hodgson's side.

Yet with England taking up permanent residence in Scotland's half and the inevitable flurry of replacements - from both sides - the match ended as a non-event.

Before kick-off, Hodgson said: "It is one thing to watch from the sidelines, or to see a game on television, but to actually work with them at first hand is very enlightening."

So, too, will be a more challenging opponent. The serious stuff is on 5 September when Moldova are the visitors to the Madjeski Stadium, as qualification for Euro 2015 begins.

England U21 (4-2-3-1): Butland; Stones, Wisdom (Thorpe, 72), Keane, Robinson; Chalobah (Barkley, 44), Shelvey (Carroll, 61); Redmond (Lingard, 67), Hughes (Dier, 72), Sterling (Ameobi, 67), Wickham (Kane, 61)

Subs not used: Kane, Johnstone, Garbutt, Long, Bond, Berahino,

Scotland U21 (4-2-3-1): Archer; Jack (Duffie, ht) McKay, Robertson, McHattie; Fyvie, Bannigan (Macleod, 79); McGeouch, Armstrong (Smith, 68), Watt (Holt, 72); Feruz (May, 68)

Subs not used: Kettings, Duffie, Findlay, Walker, Hamilton

Referee: Danny Makkelie

Attendance: 26942

Jamie Jackson