Why England Boss Roy Hodgson Must Show Faith in Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane

One of the disappointments of the 2015-16 Premier League season’s evolving title race was that its key runners did not get to face off in the final stretch.

Champions Leicester City will not mind they did not have to face their nearest challenger, Tottenham Hotspur, in the spring. They beat them in January, and the eventual 11-point gap more than proved their superiority.

Still, for dramatic purposes, it is a shame such a clash did not occur in the campaign’s closing months—not least because it would have also given us England internationals Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane in a contest of the division’s leading scorers at a point when everything was on the line.

Heading into Euro 2016, Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson may have appreciated such a duel too.

These two previously unheralded centre-forwards have demanded his attention over the past couple of seasons. A meeting between them and their respective clubs might have served as a potential decider in his mind between players with only a goal between them (Kane’s 25 goals earning him the Golden Boot).

A dream come true! ⚽️? #BPL #GoldenBoot pic.twitter.com/P6CAC2wCGv

— Harry Kane (@HKane) May 18, 2016

Such a separation may have been valuable because Hodgson is having trouble figuring out how best to incorporate both in his team. That’s a most unwanted headache on the eve of a European Championship.

Against Turkey in May, Kane led the line with Vardy initially to his left before the two united as a pair. Both scored either side of the tactical change in a 2-1 win.

In England’s last warm-up friendly before the tournament, against Portugal, they started out on the wings so as to also accommodate Wayne Rooney. The skipper and Hodgson favourite had scored in their absence in the preceding 2-1 victory over Australia.

On paper, the prospect of arguably England’s three best attackers in the same team was an exciting one. In practice, it was a compromise that—at least in this instance—did none of them any good. The eventual 1-0 victory came by way of a Chris Smalling header when all three had been substituted.

“The understanding isn’t just going to happen overnight,” Kane reasoned, per BBC Sport. “Of course we would have wanted a few more chances and a few more shots at goal, but it’s something we are still working on, so there is no reason for anyone to get too downhearted.”

That may still prove the case. But Hodgson’s need to include Rooney undoubtedly unsettled a burgeoning understanding—if not directly between Kane and Vardy, then at least in how they both might be utilised. The distinct but effective contributions they made in the recent wins over Turkey and Germany gave way to positional and creative marginalisation.

Hodgson has made clear his loyalty to his captain.

“You’re talking about the player who has played 111 games for England and scored 52 goals, so perhaps his best position is anywhere on the field,” the 68-year-old said post-Portugal, per the Guardian’s Daniel Taylor.

Whether you agree or disagree with that backing, it is a moot point with Rooney almost certain to start. His involvement should not be mutually exclusive with Kane and/or Vardy doing well.

…

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com