After all the noise, it could hardly have gone any better for Gareth Southgate as England overran Iran to open their World Cup in commanding style.
England came into the game without victory in six matches and with plenty of negativity surrounding them and Southgate in particular. They ended it with a morale-boosting 6-2 win which ensured there would not be a repeat of the dreadful World Cup openers against the USA in 2010 and Italy in 2014.
The Three Lions were 3-0 up at half-time inside the Khalifa International Stadium. They had enjoyed 82 per cent possession and scored with three of their four shots on target. Things got even better in the second half, with more goals coming and substitutes contributing. Better still: every one of Southgate’s decisions had paid off.
