Preparing

Training with the national team was relatively light. The physical exercises were limited to light drills to maintain fitness, while the majority of the sessions focused on tactics. Roy Hodgson aimed for the players to grasp and implement his strategies as quickly as possible.

If Pellegrini was a coach who favored an attacking style, Roy Hodgson adhered to a defensive philosophy.

Similar to Pellegrini, Hodgson could instruct his team to play offensively, but only in specific circumstances, such as against weaker teams or when a goal was urgently needed.

Unlike his time at Manchester City, where he had significant freedom, Kenneth found his role in the national team to be clearly defined. He was tasked with playing as an attacking midfielder or creative playmaker.

Although Kenneth could play on the wings, the England national team had several quick players well-suited for counterattacks. As a result, his role in the team was that of a playmaker.

On the 25th, Roy divided the squad into two teams for a practice match on the Sir Bobby Charlton pitch.

The first team consisted of Joe Hart; Kyle Walker, Chris Smalling, Jagielka, Luke Shaw; Townsend, Henderson, Kenneth Lee, Milner; Harry Kane, and Daniel Sturridge. This team wore the away jersey.

The second team featured Foster; Nathaniel Clyne, Cahill, Phil Jones, Leighton Baines; Fabian Delph, Michael Carrick, Adam Lallana; Raheem Sterling, Rooney, and Danny Welbeck. This team wore the white home jersey.

Each team employed a different strategy. The first team focused on defending and counterattacking, while the second team emphasized attacking and maintaining possession.

As the match began, Carrick, playing as the pivot for the second team, initiated play with short passes between the midfield and defense.

Once he saw his teammates advancing, he delivered a long pass to the left flank.

The first team allowed Welbeck to control the ball but narrowed the space in the middle, preventing him from passing or dribbling inside. Welbeck passed back to Baines, who sent in a cross. Jagielka won the aerial duel against Rooney.

Henderson then played a short pass to Kenneth, who, with a single touch, forwarded it to Townsend. Townsend outran Baines, retrieved the ball, and launched it forward.

Sturridge won the sprint against Phil Jones. However, as he prepared to pass, Jones caught up and cleared the ball out of play.

The match continued, with the second team struggling to break down the tight defense of the first team. Sterling's speed proved ineffective without space to exploit.

Eventually, their efforts led to either long-range shots or crosses. One such cross finally produced a result.

Nathaniel Clyne delivered a cross to Rooney, whose chest controlled the ball. Rooney struck it on the volley, prompting Joe Hart to leap and make an impressive save.

Smalling cleared the ball out of the penalty area, sending it toward midfield.

"Lee, I've got this. Be ready," Henderson called as he leaped to challenge Fabian Delph for the ball.

Kenneth received Henderson's header. As Adam Lallana approached to intercept, Kenneth pushed the ball through Lallana's legs and sprinted past him.

Carrick moved closer, positioning himself a meter in front of Kenneth to slow him down. Kenneth opted to pass to Milner instead of attempting to dribble past Carrick.

Milner sprinted toward the ball, which Kenneth had placed several meters ahead. Milner drove into the half-space and delivered a low cross to the center. Sturridge met the ball with a precise shot to the right, but Foster managed to save it.

Unfortunately for the second team, the ball rebounded to Harry Kane, who accurately struck it into the far corner.

The first team celebrated briefly before resuming play.

Recognizing his team's struggles, Rooney began dropping deeper to support the midfielders and facilitate play.

Gradually, the second team improved. Rooney's efforts, combined with his teammates, created several chances.

However, Sterling, Lallana, and Welbeck failed to convert those opportunities into goals. It wasn't until the 37th minute that the second team finally scored.

Rooney received a through ball from Lallana and slotted it into the corner of the net, beyond Joe Hart's reach. The score was now 1-1.

This scoreline held until the end of the first half.

In the second half, Hodgson made substitutions, bringing on Theo Walcott for Sturridge and Kieran Gibbs for Baines.

In the 62nd minute, Hart threw the ball to Kenneth. With one touch, Kenneth controlled it and played a short pass to Kane. The Tottenham Hotspur forward delivered a brilliant pass past the second team's defenders. Walcott chased the ball, while Foster rushed off his line to intercept.

Foster underestimated Walcott's speed. The Arsenal player dribbled past him and pushed the ball into the empty net.

In the 78th minute, Rooney received a pass from Fabian Delph. With a clever backheel, he found Sterling, who ran into the penalty box and passed to Welbeck. Welbeck finished clinically.

The match ended in a 2-2 draw. Kenneth and Henderson worked hard throughout the match, but with four opponents in midfield against just the two of them, maintaining defensive control was challenging.

One aspect that surprised Roy Hodgson was Kenneth's adaptability to tactical instructions.

Roy knew Kenneth was inclined to dribble, but in this match, he dribbled sparingly, opting instead to pass quickly whenever he received the ball.

Roy firmly believed that no player could move faster than the ball. Hence, during counterattacks, he aimed to minimize actions that might slow down the play, including excessive dribbling. While dribbling itself wasn't wrong, players needed to understand when to pass and when to dribble.

Additionally, Roy was impressed by Kenneth's willingness to contribute defensively. Kenneth expended significant energy helping the first team fend off the second team's dominance.

Finally, the communication between Kenneth and Henderson was seamless. Despite the challenges, their performance was commendable.

After the match, Roy provided a brief review, highlighting mistakes and areas for improvement based on the game.

On the 27th, Roy announced the starting lineup for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania. Kenneth Lee was named on the bench.