Norway 0 England 1
CARROLL SLINGER ... Andy Carroll beats Brede Hangeland but heads wide
Last Updated:
27th
May 2012
THE Rolling Stones’ anthem ‘Start Me Up’ boomed out around the Ullevaal Stadium just before kick-off here in Oslo.
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And England’s new boss Roy Hodgson would have loved it.
Not just because rocking Roy’s a big Stones fan.
But because it summed up perfectly what he wanted from his first England team.
An upbeat performance and result to drum up confidence in the camp in the build-up to Euro 2012.
A good win to ensure his reign started on a perfect note, not to a chorus of dismay.
Hodgson would have known the record was not the real thing, a cover band tribute to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ classic tune.
Just as he knew this match was not for real either. Yes, of course it represented a proud night for him personally but the reality was this game was nothing more than a useful rehearsal for the big stage in Poland and Ukraine next month.
But it was a tricky one.
Norway may not have qualified for the Euro 2012 finals but they have a hell of a record against England.
We had not beaten them for 32 years and in 1981 they humiliated us with a 2-1 win here that knocked us out of the World Cup.
Norwegian radio broadcaster Bjorge Lillelien’s famous ‘Your boys took one hell of a beating’ commentary really rubbed it in.
So there have been easier games to have for your first as manager.
But Hodgson’s boys did fine.
The brilliant Ashley Young made sure of that with a superb goal after just nine minutes.
Strike partner Andy Carroll released the Manchester United star through the middle and Young did the rest.
First, he turned Norway skipper Brede Hangeland inside out on the edge of the area — shaping up to shoot with his right, then pulling the ball back onto his left to leave the Fulham defender wrong-footed.
In a flash he romped into the area and steered a firm, low shot across keeper Rune Jarstein and into the far, bottom corner.
Great start.
It could have been even better if Carroll had repeated the assist just before the half-hour.
Unfortunately, this time the Liverpool forward badly over-hit his cross from the right and it raced away from Young, who was unmarked in the area.
England were positive and keen to attack but also content to keep possession and show patience when necessary. They might even have won by more than one goal after dominating the first hour.
James Milner went close, so did Leighton Baines and Phil Jones.
But England did fade as the second half progressed as a Norwegian fightback and a flurry of substitutions disrupted their flow.
Clearly, Hodgson will know there is room for improvement there.
Just as he knows there’s some big names to come back — Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have not even joined up with the squad yet.
And they will make a big difference to the strength in depth.
Generally, though, Hodgson would have been content.
Admittedly it was workmanlike rather than Brazil-like. But, hey, that is not a bad thing right now.
England have been laden with the weight of wild expectation going into too many tournaments in the past. And the result is they have under-achieved alarmingly.
This time our hopes and ambitions appear far more realistic and this match won’t alter that one little bit.
Nothing here will suddenly make anyone in the country think that Hodgson is the Messiah.
Nothing here will suddenly have fans up and down the land thinking we can become European Champions.
To be honest we did not learn much about our new manager or how he can build a new team either.
But he cannot do any better than win his first game — and he did just that.
And now he has another week to get to know his players better before the final warm-up match against Belgium at Wembley next Saturday.
Seven days is not a lot but we will all still be expecting an improved performance, a more polished display so that we can jet off next month confident of at least putting on a show at the Euros.
Anything more is optimistic.
We have parachuted a manager in at the last minute and it is unfair to expect him to work a miracle.
One thing Hodgson will guarantee though is a team that is organised, well drilled and which works hard.
Just a he will work tirelessly to make sure this is an England side that is very hard to beat.
Then with the likes of Rooney, Young, Gerrard and Lampard all able to produce the magic when it matters, he could surprise us all yet.
The former West Brom chief might not have been the boss the nation wanted. But he just might prove to be the manager the nation needs.
Not just because rocking Roy’s a big Stones fan.
But because it summed up perfectly what he wanted from his first England team.
An upbeat performance and result to drum up confidence in the camp in the build-up to Euro 2012.
A good win to ensure his reign started on a perfect note, not to a chorus of dismay.
Hodgson would have known the record was not the real thing, a cover band tribute to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ classic tune.
Just as he knew this match was not for real either. Yes, of course it represented a proud night for him personally but the reality was this game was nothing more than a useful rehearsal for the big stage in Poland and Ukraine next month.
But it was a tricky one.
Norway may not have qualified for the Euro 2012 finals but they have a hell of a record against England.
We had not beaten them for 32 years and in 1981 they humiliated us with a 2-1 win here that knocked us out of the World Cup.
Norwegian radio broadcaster Bjorge Lillelien’s famous ‘Your boys took one hell of a beating’ commentary really rubbed it in.
So there have been easier games to have for your first as manager.
But Hodgson’s boys did fine.
The brilliant Ashley Young made sure of that with a superb goal after just nine minutes.
Strike partner Andy Carroll released the Manchester United star through the middle and Young did the rest.
First, he turned Norway skipper Brede Hangeland inside out on the edge of the area — shaping up to shoot with his right, then pulling the ball back onto his left to leave the Fulham defender wrong-footed.
In a flash he romped into the area and steered a firm, low shot across keeper Rune Jarstein and into the far, bottom corner.
Great start.
It could have been even better if Carroll had repeated the assist just before the half-hour.
Unfortunately, this time the Liverpool forward badly over-hit his cross from the right and it raced away from Young, who was unmarked in the area.
England were positive and keen to attack but also content to keep possession and show patience when necessary. They might even have won by more than one goal after dominating the first hour.
James Milner went close, so did Leighton Baines and Phil Jones.
But England did fade as the second half progressed as a Norwegian fightback and a flurry of substitutions disrupted their flow.
Clearly, Hodgson will know there is room for improvement there.
Just as he knows there’s some big names to come back — Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have not even joined up with the squad yet.
And they will make a big difference to the strength in depth.
Generally, though, Hodgson would have been content.
Admittedly it was workmanlike rather than Brazil-like. But, hey, that is not a bad thing right now.
England have been laden with the weight of wild expectation going into too many tournaments in the past. And the result is they have under-achieved alarmingly.
This time our hopes and ambitions appear far more realistic and this match won’t alter that one little bit.
Nothing here will suddenly make anyone in the country think that Hodgson is the Messiah.
Nothing here will suddenly have fans up and down the land thinking we can become European Champions.
To be honest we did not learn much about our new manager or how he can build a new team either.
But he cannot do any better than win his first game — and he did just that.
And now he has another week to get to know his players better before the final warm-up match against Belgium at Wembley next Saturday.
Seven days is not a lot but we will all still be expecting an improved performance, a more polished display so that we can jet off next month confident of at least putting on a show at the Euros.
Anything more is optimistic.
We have parachuted a manager in at the last minute and it is unfair to expect him to work a miracle.
One thing Hodgson will guarantee though is a team that is organised, well drilled and which works hard.
Just a he will work tirelessly to make sure this is an England side that is very hard to beat.
Then with the likes of Rooney, Young, Gerrard and Lampard all able to produce the magic when it matters, he could surprise us all yet.
The former West Brom chief might not have been the boss the nation wanted. But he just might prove to be the manager the nation needs.
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