2) Big guns fail to fire for England
Lacklustre individual performances from the Englishmen cost them the game. Joe Hart disappointed in goal as he gave away two avoidable goals, the second one being an absolute howler. The keeper rarely looked confident between the sticks.
Wayne Rooney had a decent first half, but it seemed Hodgson’s words at the break had quite the opposite effect on the England skipper. Rooney was never comfortable in possession as he constantly misplaced passes. Rooney had to play in a deeper position after the break, which clearly did not suit him.
Harry Kane’s delivery from set pieces was quite average, while he was more or less invisible in the penalty area. He did force a good save out of the Iceland keeper, but that was pretty much all he could do.
Winger Raheem Sterling’s poor run of form continued as he struggled to make his mark on the game. While the 21-year-old did win a penalty for the Three Lions early on in the game, he kept losing possession in crucial areas, squandering chances every now and then.
