Efficient England

Efficient is probably the best way of describing England’s performance last night in Chisinau, where Hodgson’s boys did what was needed to cast aside a lacklustre Moldovan side in a comfortable 5-0 win.

Pre-match concerns about an uneven turf did not come to fruition as creativity from Manchester United man Tom Cleverely in addition to the impressive Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain proved to be the Moldovans undoing. Both were supported by restricted maestros Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who despite being constrained by Hodgson to sit behind the two youngsters, kept England ticking and ran the show for the Three Lions.

Hodgson will be pleased to get this game out the way whilst bringing back to Blightey the obligatory three points. He has ever will be pleased with the clean sheet to match, even if their opponents haven’t scored in this calendar year.

However, he will certainly have to address the way England seemed to fade out of the game at the start of the second half. Complacency or not, Hodgson will be fully aware that his side cannot afford to do that against stronger sides, who will dually take advantage and punish them.

But England have begun their road to Rio with a bang, albeit in a stadium in the Zimbro that couldn’t be further away from the might of the Maracana. England’s next task is against Euros co-host Ukraine, who England faced last June.