Wales forward Bale looking for more goals against Russia

The half-time double substitution of Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge rewarded Hodgson’s decisiveness, with both scoring in the 2-1 win in Lens, and, with Harry Kane looking exhausted for a second England summer in a row, and Raheem Sterling plainly out of sorts, the two goalscorers in a diamond formation looks the way forward.

“I think Roy Hodgson will start with Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge up front against Slovakia – he has to”, Shearer was quoted as saying by BBC on Friday.

After wonderful goalscoring campaigns, Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane clearly deserved a place in the England squad for Euro 2016.

“Harry and Raheem did well enough against Russian Federation, we played very, very well, but in the first half [against Wales] they showed signs of wear and tear having played that game, so it was quite an easy decision at half-time to change it”, added Hodgson.

Sturridge scored a last-gasp victor for the Three Lions against Wales on Thursday in Lens, but Skrtel, who captained Slovakia to their first victory of the tournament against Russian Federation on Wednesday, says his team-mates will have to be aware of England’s other danger men.

“I’m not trying to be arrogant here but we don’t actually pay attention to it being said, “Wayne Rooney is fantastic” or, “Wayne Rooney should be dropped”, Hodgson said. People were asking: ‘Should he go?’ and I’m delighted that I showed confidence in him because he hasn’t let me down very often.

And Brown, who was watching the game while away in Ireland, now wants the strikers to stay in the side.

The Wales forward, who scored with free kicks in each of his previous matches at the European Championship, will be looking for another when his team plays Russian Federation in their final Group B match on Monday.

Kane was substituted along with the worryingly unproductive Raheem Sterling at half-time with England trailing to a Gareth Bale free-kick that Joe Hart might wish to forever forget.

“I can’t say too much about what his plans are for the next opposition”.

You only have to watch Hodgson in the aftermath of Sturridge’s victor to know he is telling the truth: here was a man celebrating a win as he might have done in the privacy of his own front room.

Wales coach Chris Coleman said the stoppage-time loss to England was “gut-wrenching”, and said his players will have to bounce back before Monday’s match at the Stadium de Toulouse.

“We’ve taken a lot of attacking players with us on this occasion, so the options are there”.

“I just think I’m experienced enough to deal with some of the questions that come up, rather than maybe some of the younger lads”. Do I want Sturridge on?

“Can I bring someone on in midfield to manipulate the ball, etc, which I’m hoping in the future could be very useful for us going further in the tournament?'”

“You’ll have to wait and see which 11 we think is the right 11 to do that”. I would be very upset if that was the case because I see them in training every day.

“And also good, in my opinion, that we had players like Marcus Rashford and, in particular, Daniel Sturridge to come onto the field and also give us something different when we need a goal or need to ask questions of a packed defence”.

“He’s got that pace and athleticism which are pretty good things to have when you are 18 years of age”.