• England

Five questions ahead of England v Estonia

After England breezed to a 5-0 victory over San Marino on Thursday, ESPN's Nick Miller considers the challenges that lie in wait for Roy Hodgson's side.

Will Hodgson stick with the midfield diamond?

Roy Hodgson's decision to change England's formation to what was basically an attacking 4-4-2 setup in the second half against San Marino was an understandable one, given the opposition's defensive tactics. Obviously the minnows were going to mass their own narrow ranks across the width of their own penalty area, so to persist with a wingless system would have simply further clogged up the middle of the park, as it did in the first half, and after the introduction of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana, England looked much more penetrative as they ran out 5-0 winners.

Adam Lallana's introduction gave England penetration © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: England won't take Estonia lightly, says Hodgson
  
• News: Hodgson: I won't rest Sterling yet
  

However, Estonia will feel they have an outside chance of nabbing that second spot and qualification for Euro 2016, particularly after Slovenia beat Switzerland on Thursday and, despite their own loss to Lithuania, thus are likely to be a little more adventurous. Hodgson may therefore feel that the midfield diamond formation with Jack Wilshere at the base - that proved very successful in Switzerland - could be a more effective approach as it is designed to utilise Raheem Sterling's directness through the centre and pick Estonia off on the counterattack, just as England did against the Swiss in Basel.

Of course he won't necessarily need to alter the starting XI from Thursday night because James Milner, who began the game in the deeper role, can easily adapt to playing at one side of a diamond. If Hodgson does decide to mix it up then Fabian Delph is in the squad and would be able to reprise the role he played against the Swiss, which would be reward for his performances for Aston Villa of late. "I thought that system, which we still need to work on and hone, could be really useful for me in the future to get crucial key players on the field together," said Hodgson of the diamond. It will be a surprise if he doesn't continue that approach in Tallinn.

Will Nathaniel Clyne get a chance at right-back?

Nathaniel Clyne has earned his shot at international football © Getty Images

Enlarge

It seems strange that, in an England squad shorn of Roy Hodgson's preferred choices at right-back - Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Glen Johnson, Kyle Walker and John Stones - Calum Chambers, a 19-year-old with 23 senior club starts to his name, should be chosen ahead of Nathaniel Clyne. Let's leave aside that the Southampton man kept Chambers out of the team at St Mary's last season (obviously taking into account the latter's age), and simply consider that Clyne has simply been more consistent over a longer period of time.

Chambers will probably be a very good defender at some point, but at the moment he can often look like a liability, not least because he has basically been a walking booking for Arsenal this season, having already totted up enough to warrant a suspension this season. Hodgson clearly sees something in the Arsenal defender, hence selecting him for the 90-minute jog up and down the flank that was the San Marino game on Thursday, but at this stage choosing him over Clyne provides ammunition for those who think simply playing for a big club will secure you a place in the national team.

Will Kieran Gibbs keep his place on the left?

Kieran Gibbs needs to find a way to stay fit © Getty Images

Enlarge

On the other side of England's defence, Hodgson has another selection question to ponder. Kieran Gibbs was chosen ahead of Leighton Baines against San Marino, which doesn't necessarily mean anything in itself, and given that Baines is experienced enough at international level to slot straight back in (as opposed to Chambers, who Hodgson may have felt needed the San Marino game to feel his way in at international level) doesn't mean the Arsenal man will definitely start in Tallinn. However, it may well have been an acknowledgement that Baines - along with most of the Everton team so far this season - has not shown the sort of form that persuaded Hodgson to select him ahead of Ashley Cole for the World Cup.

Gibbs' problem has been, like most of his club colleagues, being able to stay fit, because when he does manage to stay on the pitch he is a fine defender, certainly more solid and with greater pace than Baines. Indeed, with Luke Shaw seeking to establish himself as Manchester United's first-choice left-back, the selection of Gibbs on Sunday could make a greater statement about Baines' international future than simply a single game. It's perhaps unfair to single out one player as being poor for England in Brazil over the summer, but Baines was undoubtedly a big disappointment. And, if Gibbs plays against Estonia, it could be a signal from Hodgson that the Everton man is slipping down the international pecking order.

Is Wayne Rooney taking responsibility or gunning for the record?

Wayne Rooney scored from the penalty spot against San Marino © Getty Images

Enlarge

It's difficult to read a huge amount into any performance against San Marino, but it was notable that Wayne Rooney had England's goal record in mind throughout the 90 minutes. And he was largely wasteful: attempting 13 shots but scoring only with a penalty, a goal that took him to 42 international strikes, seven behind Bobby Charlton's record and two back from Jimmy Greaves on 44.

It could be that, as captain and the most experienced player, Rooney was simply taking responsibility for breaking down the stubborn Sammarinese, but the fact he took so many pot shots did hint at a man who saw a chance to move up the rankings. That was fine against the worst team in world football (out of 208 teams), but a little more discipline will be required against Estonia - not that Hodgson sounds especially worried.

"The record won't play on Wayne's mind," Hodgson said. "We'd like to think, with the way he is and the footballer he is, he's got a good few years in him yet. There are plenty of games left. I don't think we should put any pressure on him to reach targets early ... I'm more than happy with him. It was another good captain's performance. He was solid throughout."

Whatever his intentions, England need Rooney to get better. For a striker to take that many shots against a team like San Marino and only score from a penalty is at least mildly concerning‎. Other parts of the skipper's game have been picked over and criticised, but his finishing usually has to take a spot in the queue behind work rate, fitness, first touch when he's out of form, and so on. Hodgson will need Rooney to become a little more efficient with his shooting to, at the very least, make the encounter against Estonia a little easier.

Do England actually have the ideal manager for this scenario?

Is Roy Hodgson the right man for the job? © Getty Images

Enlarge

Realistically, barring a calamity of the sort England are admittedly very capable, the only team that could have prevented Hodgson's men from finishing top of Group E was Switzerland, and they have suffered a dreadful opening to their campaign, losing firstly at home to England and then in Slovenia. Lithuania have won both of their opening games, but they will not keep up that sort of form, so the following eight games, starting against Estonia on Sunday, should be something of a stroll for England.

Hodgson's job now becomes less about marshalling a successful team, but instead guarding against complacency, which of course can creep in and lead to upsets, such as Spain's defeat to Slovakia. "The other results I suppose are surprising, but maybe shouldn't be," said Hodgson on Thursday. "We should stop being surprised in international football. If you happen to be called Spain, Russia or England, we can't expect we can go and beat whoever because we have more people than them."

While his other weaknesses have been exposed when facing opponents of a slightly higher class, Hodgson's innate caution could actually be a strength for England as they try to stay on track and avoid taking this qualification campaign for granted.

This article originally appeared on ESPNFC.com

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd