Sunday 4 September 2016 22:46, UK
Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith says Sam Allardyce must address Wayne Rooney's role in the England team - insisting he was ineffective in a deep position against Slovakia.
The new England boss said before Sunday's 1-0 win that he wouldn't play his captain in midfield, so eyebrows were raised when he started alongside Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier in a 4-3-3 system.
Rooney dropped even deeper when Dele Alli was introduced as a second-half substitute and argued after the match that he did "a good job".
But Smith disagreed and felt the side benefited from having a number 10 playing off Harry Kane.
He told Sky Sports: "I thought he might play in the number 10 position, as most people did, but he was really quite deep - dropping off in front of the back four and trying to ping balls right and left.
"I don't think it really worked. When Dele Alli came on into that advanced number 10 he made a real difference so maybe that's something for Sam Allardyce to think about."
England's win came in the dying seconds of the match as Adam Lallana struck five minutes into injury-time to snatch the three points.
And Smith was full of praise for the all-round performance of England's goalscorer after he netted his first international goal.
"Adam Lallana was England's best player," he added.
"His overall game was lovely, neat and tidy and inventive. He deserved the goal and he hit the post a few minutes before that.
"You thought 'when is he going to get on the scoresheet for England?' and what a time to do it to take all three points deservedly home.
"Really England were the only team in it. I don't think Slovakia had an effort tonight as the home team, even when they had 11 men, which tells you the story."
