ENGLAND 3, IVORY COAST 0
Gareth Southgate criticised the England fans who jeered Manchester United’s Harry Maguire before England’s 3-0 friendly win against Ivory Coast.
The minority took the gloss of an impressive victory as England’s build up to Qatar and the finals of the World Cup continued.
Southgate said: “I thought the reception was a joke, an absolute joke. The way he has performed for us has been absolutely phenomenal. I don’t get it. We’re either all in this together or we’re not.
Embed from Getty Images“He’s in an England shirt and not only should you support a player in an England shirt regardless, but when you’ve played at the level he has for us and put the performances in he has, it should be total commitment behind him. I don’t get it at all.
“His performance was pretty faultless really. He stepped out from the back really well for his first goal, was involved in the second one too. The team are totally united. We recognise everyone has difficult moments but he’s a top player and he will come through it.
“They are real England fans and some are influenced by whatever – social media or players that played previously who are influencing opinion. The club situation is obviously very difficult but he’s in an England shirt. I remember decades ago a few players being booed in an England shirt and it’s never been acceptable to me. Fans should always get behind their team.”
After the struggle against Switzerland on Saturday, Africa’s Ivory Coast, whose team included many well-known footballers, were easily disposed of by Southgate’s side.
First-half goals from Ollie Watkins and Raheem Sterling and one at the death by Tyrone Mings provided considerable cheer for England’s manager.
There were impressive displays from Manchester City pair Sterling and Jack Grealish along with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham who again oozed class.
The Elephants, creating history as this was their first-ever international against England, never looked like making it a contest as they did four days earlier when they lost 2-1 to an injury-time goal to World Cup winners France.
Their cause was not helped by former Tottenham player Serge Aurier’s needless sending off late in the opening half.
Grealish did not want Aurier dismissed, explaining: “I wanted [Serge Aurier] to stay on because it’s a friendly and you get more from playing against 11. I think it would have been more of a challenge for us. I said to the referee ‘come on!’
“I thought it was a good performance from us. We knew it would be difficult to start but the red card changed things completely. It was a different type of game to what we’re used to playing. It was a good performance from the team and I’m happy with mine too.
“It’s a brilliant time to be in my shoes. We’re in so many competitions still and then at the end of the year we have the World Cup. I need to keep impressing the manager to get into that squad.”
Sterling added: “It was a good night, it is always an honour to get given the opportunity to wear the captain’s armband, I wore it with great pride, and it was a great team performance in the end.
“It is a great privilege and never in my wildest imagination as a young player coming through did I think I would captain England one day. It comes with maturity the manager sees in you, the passion and love I have for the country.”
Southgate said: “I thought the mentality at the start was really good. Of course, the red card changes the game which was a shame in terms of the test we wanted.
“I thought Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling were very bright on the wings. They weren’t happy to come off, but they have so much football coming up.
“Jude Bellingham had a really good game. I was very pleased to see him. Tyrick Mitchell has dipped his toes into international football and done really well.”
Ivory Coast head coach Patrice Beaumelle described the sending-off as having a massive bearing on the game.
He said: “It was difficult 11 versus 11, but 10 against 11 was impossible. The sending off killed it off as a spectacle as it was not a game after that.
“Serge is captain and a mature player. He has to lead the team and all the team was finished, not just him when he was sent off, and we were not able to show our philosophy of the last two years.
“The challenge was not to concede any goals in the second half, and we almost did it.”
Beaumelle added Ivory Coast must learn to be more consistent in consecutive games.
“We were good against France and didn’t deserve to lose, but four days later showed where we have to improve,” he said.
Southgate made 10 changes following Saturday’s friendly win over Switzerland, with Arsenal defender Ben White the only player to keep his place.
There were starts for Sterling, who captained his country for a third time, and Grealish and United captain Harry Maguire.
Southgate handed first international starts to Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Watkins, from Aston Villa.
There was no Wilfried Zaha for Ivory Coast after he missed training yesterday, but the visitors name a strong side that included Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe, Ajax’s prolific forward Sebastien Haller, Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet and Jean Michael Seri, from Fulham.
Former Tottenham right back Serge Aurier, who now plays for Spanish side Villarreal, captained the side.
Maguire’s night did not get off to the best of starts as his name was jeered when the team was announced before a ball had been kicked.
It was very much a stop-start opening in which there were numerous stoppages through fouls and injuries.
Much-changed England eventually settled and carved out a 15th minute chance when Grealish launched the move which ended with Jude Bellingham playing a return pass with Sterling before seeing his shot deflect off the legs of goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare on to the upright.
And from the rebound Mitchell fired a delightful low ball from the left across the face of goal but Ollie Watkins, sliding in, just failed to make contact.
The lively Grealish, at the heart of most attacking moves, cut in from the left only to fire straight at Sangare.
The breakthrough came after half an hour when Watkins netted his second goal for England and his first at Wembley.
Sterling provided the assist with his trickery on the left and low ball across the six-yard box which Sangare failed to cut out leaving the Aston Villa striker with the easiest of finishes from three yards at the far post.
Bellingham came close to doubling the lead when he cut in from the left before bending a shot past the upright.
Ivory Coast, without a goal attempt, were reduced to 10 men in the 40th minute when Aurier was sent off for collecting two bookings in the space of eight minutes, the second for dissent after not being awarded a foul.
England went off 2-0 ahead after Sterling scored his 19th goal for England on the stroke of half time.
Sterling’s initial fierce drive was parried by Sangare before Grealish cut back the rebound from the left for Sterling to slot home.
There were four changes at the break, three for Ivory Coast while for England Kyle Walker-Peters replaced White.
England were awarded a penalty within two minutes of the restart following a challenge by substitute Fousseny Coulibaly on Bellingham.
However, a VAR check provided doubt and Belgium referee Erik Lambrechts was sent to the pitchside monitor. After reviewing footage, the match official rescinded his decision believing Coulibaly got a touch on the ball.
England made four further changes just after the hour as Mitchell, Sterling, Watkins and Grealish made way for Luke Shaw, Phil Foden, Harry Kane and Emile Smith Rowe.
James Ward-Prowse came close to adding a third goal for England when his 25-yard drive dipped inches over the bar.
Ivory Coast’s best chance of the game came in the 77th minute when Simon Deli stole in unmarked from a free kick but blazed over from six yards when he ought to have found the net.
England’s sixth change with 11 minutes left saw Ward-Prowse replaced by Conor Gallagher.
After a lukewarm second period, the game finished on a high when Mings scored a third England goal in the third of three added minutes
Mings’ second goal for England was a downward header from seven yards which looped into the roof of the net following Foden’s corner.