You can't start a fire without a spark - and England have no spark. Yes, there was a slight improvement in performance level but that was only in the second half and it wasn't enough to inspire any confidence that England are going to win the Euros for the first time this summer. The first half against Slovenia was just more of the same.
At times it was like one of those games from the 1970s before the backpass rule was introduced when players would just pass the ball between themselves at the back. It was all sideways and backwards. There was no movement off the ball and no bravery on the ball.
There was no width, no invention and no cutting edge. Marc Guehi looked assured at the back and Phil Foden tried to make things happen but that was about it and it was no surprise to see England booed off at half-time. Jan Oblak didn't have a difficult save to make and when he was beaten by Bukayo Saka from close range, the goal was disallowed because Phil Foden was offside in the build-up.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player If this was the England reset we had been promised then another reset was going to be required. Gareth Southgate and his players had accepted that the performances against Serbia and Denmark had not been good enough. They had honest and frank discussions and the problems had been addressed on the training pitch.
Southgate had admitted that the team was not functioning and it was his responsibility to find solutions. To be fair to Southgat.
