What a difference an attacking substitution makes, eh Roy?

England survived a bump in the road to see off Wales and Roy Hodgson learnt a precious lesson in positivity.

When Daniel Sturridge poked home the 93rd-minute winner, it took the Three Lions boss as much by surprise as the rest of us. He leapt out of the dugout, wide-eyed and arms aloft, realising seconds later he did not have a clue how to celebrate it.

The puzzled look on his face said: "Can it really be? This attacking lark really works."

Yes Roy, it does. And what’s more, players, fans, media  and, well, everyone enjoys it a lot more. With the Three Lions 1-0 down at half-time to Gareth Bale's tame long-range free-kick the fans could not help but fear the worst. As the England players trudged in at the break, pundits and commentators called for a 'big team talk' from Roy.

Nobody really believed he had it in him.

This is, after all, the man who took three of his 'old faves' to France who have barely played all season due to injury. This is the man who replaced Raheem Sterling with James Milner at 1-0 up against a dreadful Russia side, when the game was crying out for Jamie Vardy, only to see us concede at the death.

Never in their history had England overturned a half-time deficit to win a major tournament match. That's a ridiculous stat.

None of us were sure Roy was really the man to break that incredible run. With the nation crying out for him to send on a striker, we all debated “Will he do it? And should it be Sturridge? Should it be Vardy?"

The players emerged for the second half and there was Sturridge - followed by Vardy.

Harry Kane and Sterling off.  Finally some ruthlessness.

To England fans, this was not just a substitution, it was an unprecedented statement of intent: This game is not done yet. And he did not stop there – fearless 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford followed later as Hodgson really tore up his textbook.

Roy’s attacking changes may have raised the tempo, but they also raised the spirit of England and boosted the hopes of the nation.

Suddenly Wales were on the back foot, defending in their own box rather than the half way line and starting to make mistakes as the Three Lions prowled the final third.

As soon as Vardy grabbed his opportunistic leveller on 56 minutes, the psychological battle - started by Bale earlier in the week - was won.

Chris Coleman’s Dragons no longer felt like plucky underdogs landing blows on a fancied opponent. Now they were the hunted, sitting deeper and deeper as they desperately looked to hold on for a point.

In truth, they showed England far too much respect. Attacking substitutions had not turned Wayne Rooney and co into a footballing force in the space of half-time.

England still struggled to carve out clear chances, were still wasting final ball after final ball and still had a suspect defence.

This 24-team tournament has been swelled by second-rate European sides, whose only option to survive is to defend like their lives depend on it.

Wales need not stoop to that level. They can mix it as an attacking force, too. But, what the game in Lens proved was that without the belief they come unstuck.

Fingers crossed they find it again and they can test themselves in the knockout stage. The more Home Nations that progress, the better.

Careful, considered Hodgson has never had a reputation for rolling the dice. But, to all our shock and surprise, roll them he did.

And he didn't just roll them, he launched them bouncing and tumbling across the table, smashing glasses along the way.

Let’s hope he does the same against Slovakia and into the latter stages.

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