It was fitting that after another England draw in this storied little stadium the talk should turn to penalties.
Eighteen years ago Michael Owen electrified a World Cup last-16 tie against Argentina only for that familiar English 12-yard failing to rear its ugly head.
How the huge number of England fans who travelled south to this rather humdrum town in the Rhones Alps region would have loved a fraction of the drama of that 2-2 draw – instead they were left bored and angry after a scoreless stalemate that leaves a side with a 100 percent record in qualfying coming in behind their little neighbours Wales in Group B.
England return to the scene of their greatest blow-up desperate not to see a repeat of 1998 | @me_stafford https://t.co/sBZQa2PfjS
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 19, 2016
Instead those England fans had to listen to Roy Hodgson express his disbelief at another “totally dominant” display that did not deliver a win. They have now scored three goals in three games against an abysmal Russia, unambitious Slovakia and Wales – who have topped the group on the strength of Gareth Bale and a happy knack of scoring goals.
Owen scored goals, so did Shearer. Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge, the least difficult of Hodgson’s six changes to understand after their goals in the 2-1 win over Wales, both spurned golden opportunities here in either half.
“We will be criticised for not scoring goals,” said Hodgson afterwards. I can’t deny that”
Chances were created, but not as many as might have been had Wayne Rooney and Dele Alli started instead of Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson – neither of whom enjoyed evenings to remember as Hodgson’s tinkering was used as a rod with which to beat him.
Pleasing all the people all the time is a difficult task, for the England football manager it is an exercise in futility akin to trying to explain how Ryan Bertrand was not booked for any of his three nasty elbow assaults against Slovakia.
While the Wales game was the first time Hodgson had chosen an unchanged XI in two years, he has gained a reputation for conservatism.
There was a rapturous reception to him throwing Rashford, Vardy, Sturridge and the kitchen sink at Wales but his half-dozen changes for Slovakia was picked apart long before this game ground to its torturous, inevitable goalless conclusion.
Hodgson will be criticised, as sure as night follows day, until he breaks the habit of a half-century and wins a major tournament.
He can expect criticism then because this England team are not going to win Euro 2016. That is the opinion of most right-minded people who watched Henderson hit the first defender with almost every cross, who saw Chris Smalling and Joe Hart play like perfect strangers, not team-mates, and who saw the Slovakian goal besieged so half-heartedly, to so little effect.
Unfortunately, when watching Hodgson speak, you always get the impression he knows this to be the truth in his heart of hearts. The England manager is already resigned to not winning this tournament and already knows that a semi-final exit, or the right kind of quarter-final defeat, will see him keep the position of most-criticised man in Britain for another two years.
Greg Dyke's comments on Sunday were not massively helpful to Roy Hodgson and his England team https://t.co/FlLHyqHM27
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 19, 2016
FA Chairman Greg Dyke did not do Hodgson any favours speaking so candidly about his contract on the eve of this game but at least everyone now knows what is required. Beat whichever of Iceland, Portugal, Austria and Hungary finish second in Group H and that penalty shootout defeat to France in Stade de France should keep him on the road to Russia.
Of course the subject of penalties came up in the post-match press conference. “Roy, two draws in three matches – how are the penalties coming along?” was the cheeky enquiry,
