All good things must come to an end but how Aidy Boothroyd must wish that was not true.
For the first time since March 2011, England’s Under-21s failed to win a competitive fixture at home. That run dates back 30 matches but game 31 was a step too far as Holland ground out a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road.
A point was not the worst result in the world for this young team and it should not deal a fatal blow to their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2019 – they lead Group 4 by five points with three games remaining – but it serves as a reminder of the need for improvement.
In a move that mirrored the senior team, Boothroyd set his team up with three central defenders – Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell played on the left – and two wing-backs in an attempt to hem the visitors in their own half and the early signs were encouraging as England began briskly.
There were two opportunities for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a shot from Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon that forced Holland keeper Justin Bijlow to take evasive action but the pressure was not enough to fluster their opponents.
Soon enough, the visitors settled down and they claimed for a penalty in the 15th minute when Ezri Konsa, who is on loan at Brentford from Chelsea, sent Guus Till sprawling but Israeli referee Roi Reinshreiber waved the appeal away to ensure the defender’s debut was not ruined.
Another debutant – Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka – came to England’s rescue with a sliding block to deny Arnaut Groeneveld as he homed in on goal. Given how much joy the visitors were having in key areas, it was clear to see the system was not working.
Lewis Cook, England’s captain, voiced his concerns to the bench in the 28th minute and, in a flash, Boothroyd had reverted to an orthodox back four to dilute the orange flow and the half ended with Josh Onomah testing Bijlow after Wan-Bissaka and Fulham’s Sessegnon had combined.
England needed the break to gather their composure but they remained jittery through the second period – a miss from Sessegnon in the 63rd minute, when he snatched at a shot and fired over following a glorious cross from Chilwell.
They continued to press and they could not have come closer in the 83rd minute to finding a way through but Demarai Gray was left aghast as a thumping drive crashed against the corner of post and bar and bounced away. It was that kind of evening.
