First the pros from England’s winning start to the Euros.
The performance against Croatia was pleasing overall with big green ticks next to the names of Kalvin Phillips, Tyrone Mings and Declan Rice in particular.
Phillips was excellent. I thought he’d be tasked with a pure sitting role alongside Rice but he looked more capable at playing a central creating role than Mason Mount did ahead of him.
The Leeds midfielder has pretty much cemented himself as a primary pick for Gareth Southgate now, alongside Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, when fit, John Stones, Rice and Harry Kane.
He’s not a million miles off, anyway, and what really stood out was the work he did going forward against a midfield which included Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic.
Phillips earned his wings and I’d now like to see him given even more license to get forward.
Mings, meanwhile, came in as second choice in central defence with Maguire injured and dealt well with every threat.
There were a couple of nice balls out from the back as well, harking back to his full-back days.
Rice was the epitome of a steady Eddie, too, and did everything he needed to.
What we must ask now, though, is how England’s performance would translate against Germany, France, Italy or Spain and there are several question marks in that regard which I’d like to see ironed out against Scotland on Friday.
Now, I know a lot of people like Mount, me included.
But I want to see him concentrate more on attacking down a central furrow because there’s always a temptation for him to drift left to do his best work, a propensity to be here, there and everywhere, which sometimes you don’t have to be.
Take Modric as an example. Sometimes he just stands still because he knows the ball will find him and I’d like to see more of that from Mount.
Not against the Scots, though, because I’d move Phil Foden into the middle with Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling either side of him.
(Image: Getty Images)
Foden shouldn’t be anywhere near the right — by playing him there, you’re asking him to cut into traffic every time he comes on to his left foot and, as Croatia did, teams will simply double up on him.
It smacked a bit of the way Paul Scholes used to be shoe-horned in on the left.
Sterling was quiet but at least his goal will silence those who’d have been asking for him to make way in a game or two if he hadn’t got it.
I’d also like to see the full-backs getting forward more than Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier did.
I know Southgate wanted experience alongside Mings but Luke Shaw has played for United for a long time and Ben Chilwell, like Mount, has just won the Champions League, so we’re not talking about babies.
Hopefully, these are things that will be worked on in training this week and I’m cautiously optimistic that we can grow into the tournament.
Although I’m certainly not getting carried away by a win against a Croatia team which is nowhere near the level of the one that beat us to reach the World Cup final three years ago.
