Angry Hodgson dismisses England statistics

England manager Roy Hodgson mounted an impassioned defence of his team after they laboured to a 1-0 victory over Norway in their first game since the World Cup.
Wayne Rooney marked his first match as captain with a decisive 68th-minute penalty, but it was one of only two shots on target that England mustered during a low-key friendly at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday.
Only 40,181 fans -- less than half Wembley's capacity -- turned up to watch England produce an uninspired display four days before their first Euro 2016 qualifier away to Switzerland, but Hodgson refused to succumb to the mood of apathy.

"Two shots on target? Don't give me that one," he snapped at a journalist during a tetchy post-game media conference.
"What about all the shots that people (Norway's defenders) threw themselves in the way of? What about the little ball when (Daniel) Sturridge is played in, lobs the goalkeeper, lands on the crossbar?
"Don't hit me with statistics. When we had that much possession, and you want to talk to me about two shots on target?"

Danny Welbeck, a replacement for Rooney, was the only other England player to test Norway goalkeeper Orjan Haskjold Nyland with a shot on goal.

While the new Arsenal striker caught the eye following his introduction, Hodgson admitted that Rooney had not had one of his best days.
"It was a big night for Wayne," said Hodgson, who also handed debuts to Aston Villa's Fabian Delph and Arsenal's Calum Chambers.