• Liverpool striker impresses during England training
• Daniel Welbeck remains a doubt for Euro 2012
If there is one thing we can take as a certainty, it is that Andy Carroll will find the centre-backs in Euro 2012 less obliging than the one lining up against him when England's players had their latest crash course in Roy Hodgson's style of management.
Gary Neville's last match for Manchester United was at West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day 2011 and it ended with him locking himself in the toilet at half-time, in the frazzled state of mind that comes from "making Jerome Thomas look like Cristiano Ronaldo". In which case it was probably no surprise the latest member of Hodgson's coaching staff could be seen blowing out his cheeks and struggling for breath as he tried to keep control of a player who increasingly looks like he will lead England's attack while Wayne Rooney is suspended. "He [Neville] looked tired before we even started," Joleon Lescott volunteered at the end of a training match in which Carroll was the stand-out performer.
These were revealing moments by the side of Manchester City's pitch, if only for the frequency with which Hodgson halted play to pass on instructions. "Very hands-on," James Milner observed afterwards. Vocal, too. "You don't have to use short passes," the new England manager could be heard shouting at one point. "Not if you want to use your big man up front." Carroll put the ball past Joe Hart and Hodgson nodded his head appreciatively. "Well done, son."
By that stage Daniel Welbeck had already cried off because of an ankle injury that is threatening his involvement in the competition. Glen Johnson, nursing an infected toe, had also gone in for treatment and is doubtful for Saturday's friendly against Norway. Neville had pulled on his boots because, to put it bluntly, England did not have any spare defenders.
All of which meant that the back four Hodgson put together on one side – from right to left, Phil Jones, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott and Leighton Baines – could easily be the defensive quartet that plays in Oslo. Behind them, West Ham United's Rob Green started before giving way to Hart and it may well be that Hodgson gives both goalkeepers time on the pitch. Green has not played for England since his mistake against the USA in the last World Cup and there are clear benefits of easing him back into the system in a friendly.
Hodgson's first-choice practice team, in a 10‑a‑side match, featured a midfield of Theo Walcott, Scott Parker, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Young, with Carroll playing on his own in attack. Welbeck looked forlorn as he made his way to the tunnel, having been restricted to some light exercises, and will have to prove his fitness to Hodgson next week if he is not to be replaced by Daniel Sturridge from the standby list. Even if Welbeck makes it, the indications are that Carroll is now in prime position to replace Rooney for the first two games against France and Sweden. Introduce Gareth Barry as a holding player alongside Parker, then move Gerrard forward into the position just behind Carroll, and this could feasibly be the first side of the Hodgson era, in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
It was probably inevitable in the circumstances that there was the sense of a team starting from scratch, at just about the same time the other Euro 2012 nations are putting the final touches to their own preparations. The Chelsea players do not report until Tuesday and it is perplexing that John Terry should be given time to recover from the Champions League final when he did not even play. Hodgson's first two training sessions have been largely based on the team's defensive cohesion, yet Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole are also missing and Johnson unable to take part. In other words, not one member of the back four who plays this weekend might be in Hodgson's team for the France game in Donetsk, now only two and a half weeks away.
On the plus side, Hodgson will be relieved just to start implementing his ideas. "He gets his point across, but he is calm with it," Lescott said. "He explains to you what he wants from the team and individuals and there are no grey areas."
Hodgson also used the opportunity to experiment with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in his favoured central midfield role. Mostly, though, he worked on the team's structure, getting things tight. "We are going to be very organised defensively," Milner said. "We have talked a lot in training about how the midfielders and defenders are expected to keep their shape. Then it's a case of using the ability we have going forward. We have good players who can get on the ball and express themselves."
Carroll certainly looks sharp and confident, even if there are obvious concerns about his lack of goals in Liverpool's colours. Too much can be read into a training session – particularly one when his opponent is 37 and in retirement – but there are signs of encouragement when it comes to the £35m striker. He did, to give him his due, end the season impressively and he has made an impression with his England team-mates. "It's nice to see him getting the media coverage and praise he deserves over the last few weeks," Lescott said. "He's had a good finish to the season and been called into the squad for a major tournament. So you'd think this is the best he's felt about himself for a while."
Look closely and you could also see Neville coaching Carroll, particularly in terms of his positioning. Carroll evaded him to put the ball beyond Hart again and there was the clear sense, with Welbeck back in the dressing room and Rooney nowhere to be seen, that England will go into the tournament with the Liverpool man suddenly promoted to the role of first-choice striker. Read More
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