LONDON (Reuters) - England approach Tuesday's friendly against Italy grappling with a familiar set of recurring problems that seem to resurface whenever major soccer tournaments approach. Alli again looked ineffectual when he came on as a substitute in England's 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday and goalscorer Jesse Lingard made a strong case for inclusion in Southgate's World Cup starting line-up. The same can no longer be said about Arsenal's Jack Wilshere who, although long touted as the answer to England's problems in midfield, is once again absent injured and appears to be too brittle for a major tournament. Observers cautiously praised England's performance against a Dutch side who showed why they were not good enough to qualify for the World Cup finals. Off the field, there were more echoes from the past as the Football Association (FA) condemned the "unacceptable scenes" which led to 100 England supporters being arrested in Amsterdam.

Source: The Star March 25, 2018 15:22 UTC