Monday 5 September 2016 15:35, UK
Adam Lallana's stoppage-time goal saw Sam Allardyce's reign kick off with a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia in Trnava. England had looked set for a draw despite Martin Skrtel's sending off and there's lots of work left to do for the new boss, writes Adam Bate…
"I'm here because I think I can make the team better," Sam Allardyce had said in his opening press conference as England boss, before adding: "I can turn things around pretty quickly."
That wasn't always obvious in a stuttering England performance all too reminiscent of Roy Hodgson's tougher times, but after waiting over an hour for a first shot on target, Lallana's goal against 10-man Slovakia ensured a dramatic winning start for the new manager.
Of course, there's nothing particularly new about that. Every permanent England coach since Graham Taylor has won their first game and this result extends the team's sequence of qualifying victories to 13 in a row. But there's nothing new about England's labouring either.
A lack of movement in the final third, minimal support for an out of sorts Harry Kane and continued uncertainty over Wayne Rooney's role in the side remain issues that need addressing. Here are five questions for Allardyce to consider…
Does Rooney role need reviewing?
The manager had suggested that Rooney would play as an "attacking midfield player or shall we say striker" so it was somewhat surprising to see the skipper deployed on the left of midfield just as he'd been for England's humiliating defeat to Iceland in the summer.
Allardyce seemed happy enough with the control that Rooney provided - he completed 64 of 72 passes - but it seemed curious to use him so deep given the presence of Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson coupled with John Stones' ability to carry the ball out of defence.
Can Stones add a new dimension?
The Manchester City defender is expected to get a run in the side having been left on the bench throughout Euro 2016 and showed enough in this game to suggest it could be a big help. Allardyce gave him the freedom to play his natural game and join in with the attacks.
The manager has stressed that Stones will be judged on his defending but if he can get that right he'll be an asset in the build-up as well. Only Dier made more passes than Stones and he completed as many dribbles as the rest of the team put together in the first half.
Could Kane's form be a problem?
That lack of dribbling hints at a bigger issue with this England side that evidently hasn't been solved by a week on the training ground with Allardyce. There's still a lack of imagination about the team's play in the final third - something vital when trying to break teams down.
Add to that Rooney's tendency to drift into deep areas as well as his apparent unwillingness to run beyond the striker and it can leave Kane looking isolated as the lone figure in attack. Seemingly short of confidence, this was another struggle of a night for the Spurs man.
Is Alli's involvement now essential?
Perhaps the presence of Tottenham team-mate Dele Alli would be a help. His enthusiasm marked a noticeable improvement, albeit against 10 men. Those simplest of qualities - passing and moving, running at defences with and without the ball - make a big difference.
Alli found himself occupying the No 10 role in that final half an hour and Allardyce may well come to think that the position will need filling if England are to look more fluid. The three-man midfield is a conservative option away from home, but the addition of another attack-minded player in there gives England more thrust.
Could new men make a difference?
That's really what England still need and while Theo Walcott was a welcome addition, squandering a couple of chances and creating several more, there's still a sense in which it's pacier players and fresher faces who could really help the side push on.
Whether it's Marcus Rashford's exuberance or the potential link up between Danny Drinkwater and Jamie Vardy, something is still missing. Allardyce needs to add greater urgency than this if he's going to convince anyone that brighter times are ahead.
Conclusion
Ultimately, that's the problem he faces. Hodgson's flawless qualifying record leaves Allardyce in a no-win situation. Replicate those efforts and it can hardly be seen as an indication of success in Russia. Fail to do so and he's taken England further backwards.
His remark that "the previous games, with the exception of Iceland, were exceptionally good" suggests that there's little rush to make major changes. As a result, the flaws were familiar. Fortunately for England and Allardyce, so were those three precious qualifying points.
