Euro 2016

[monks data]

International Friendlies

Jun 2, 2016 at 7.45pm UK

England
1-0
Portugal

Smalling (86')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Roy Hodgson: 'Wayne Rooney dilemma good problem to have'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 03 June 2016

England manager Roy Hodgson insists that the problem of fitting a number of attacking players into his starting XI at Euro 2016 is a good one to have.

England manager Roy Hodgson has insisted that he is pleased to have the problem of fitting a number of attacking players into his starting XI.

The forward positions have dominated much of the debate surrounding Hodgson's best side heading into Euro 2016 this summer, with Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy both having outshone England captain Wayne Rooney this season.

The trio played together for the first time during England's 1-0 win over Portugal on Thursday, but critics suggested that the attempt to accommodate Rooney in the team forced the likes of Kane, Vardy and Dele Alli out of position.

"I think that's a good problem to have, shoehorning in attacking players. For long periods of time, I don't know that I've had that situation where there's a lot of good attacking players to shoehorn so you won't find me complaining about that," he told reporters.

"You would find me complaining if we weren't defending well as a team, conceding lots of goals, chances and every time we played we needed to score three to win a game so I've seen no evidence of that. I'll allow you to write whatever you think about Wayne Rooney, but I'm not prepared to make this the Wayne Rooney show. Wayne was one of the players out there. Once again we changed our system, as we've done on several occasions, we started with two strikers, Rooney in a number 10 position.

"Then we decided when we brought on Sterling in particular and Lallana, we changed Sturridge too, and played a more traditional way if you like, if you think the way we've played over the last couple of years with Sterling on one side, Lallana on the other, Sturridge down the middle.

"Which one works best? Well, you have to be careful there because the three at the end, they were playing against a team which was tiring and furthermore they were playing against a team that had allowed total domination of the ball, whereas the first lads were playing for at least 35 minutes against 11 men who had some desire to attack. You're talking about the player (Rooney) who has played 111 games for England and scored 53 goals so perhaps his best position is anywhere on the field."

England will fly out to France on Monday before getting their Euro 2016 campaign underway against Russia on June 11.