Gareth Southgate has received high praise for getting his major decisions right in England's win over Iran.
The Three Lions began their World Cup in the best possible way, hitting their first opponents for six. England came into the tournament without a win since March - a run of six games - but laid down a marker with games to come against the USA and Wales.
Southgate's first starting XI of the World Cup was always going to cause debate, but England's emphatic win will silence any doubters. Harry Maguire's inclusion was a controversial call given his lack of form and minutes at Manchester United, but the centre-half performed well before being withdrawn.
The subs - and the timing of them - also paid dividends. Southgate introduced Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish in the second half and all three played their part. Wilson laid on Grealish to score England's sixth after Rashford had also found the net.
Alan Shearer subsequently hailed the Three Lions boss on the BBC for his decision-making: "Well done Gareth Southgate. He had decisions to make in terms of system, he put Magure in, then they get the goal, he changes it, Wilson comes on - sets up a goal - Rashford comes on and gets a goal straight away, Grealish comes on and gets his goal. So the manager as well he’s had some big calls today and they’ve worked."
England's impressive start may well see Southgate stick with the same starting XI on Friday. Bukayo Saka, who scored a brace, was preferred to Phil Foden on the wing and is likely to retain his role, even if the Three Lions boss did admit they would need to up their level next time out.
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He said: "By the end, we looked sloppy but just before the end we were pretty good. I have said to the players I have to balance how I feel because we dominated the game and there were so many good performances. But equally, we cannot concede two gaols in the manner we did. I understand we had a lot of injury time and we started to drift but we have to be so on it against the States so we have other levels we can go to.
"We know that the next couple of days will be a bit calmer I like how the group has gone about their work and it was nice to get some players on to the pitch and for them to go on and score. I want everyone to get on and when I pick a team I know there will be 11 that are happy and 15 that are not."
