1) Southgate even more of a shoo-in for full-time job
Forget the reality that the scoreline felt rather deceptive at times, with this far from pristine. The Football Association has a formal process still to undertake, which will now include the input of Howard Wilkinson, but the appointment of Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis is surely a formality. England head into the winter lull clear at the top of this group, unbeaten now in 33 qualifying games, with the interim manager having taken seven points from three matches. Even a humiliating defeat by Spain in Tuesday’s friendly is unlikely to damage his chances of being offered the chance to succeed Sam Allardyce, most likely through to 2020 with a break clause after the World Cup in Russia. He has enjoyed his stint in temporary charge. The real work starts now.
2) Strachan’s time with Scotland may be up
Gordon Strachan’s prospects do not appear quite so promising. His team selection had a hint of a last throw of the dice, with eight changes made from that thrashing in Slovakia, but there was a helplessness here to the manager as urgency and industry led to little. The perception is the last 12 months have been one prolonged retreat after initial progress under his stewardship, a legacy of a failure to reach Euro 2016 where Wales, Northern Ireland and, to a lesser extent, England enjoyed their summers. It mattered little that Scotland, with three Championship defenders in their back four and some fine chances spurned, matched the English for long periods here. The frustration in Strachan’s face as those chances were missed and his defence gave way summed it up, with visiting fans choosing instead to fling objects from bottles to tennis balls on to the turf in a mini-protest. Whether the manager jumps or is pushed remains to be seen.
3) England’s pursuit of an identity goes on
The lethargy which initially seemed to infect the hosts at the start of both periods here was troubling in a fixture, traditionally thunderously frantic, which is supposed to get the juices flowing. There was a carelessness in possession which had Southgate fidgeting uncomfortably on the sidelines, with Wayne Rooney and John Stones, Adam Lallana and Eric Dier all culpable of dawdling on the ball or placing passes beyond team-mates. At least Raheem Sterling offered them some forward propulsion to draw the focus and shrug the hosts awake, but a management staff so desperate to implement an easily recognisable, progressive style will have been unimpressed by this fare for long periods. The perfectionist in Southgate means he recognises their development remains very much a work in progress.
4) Home team’s quality told in the end
Yet, for all the visitors’ endeavour, the flashes of quality that yielded reward were all English. Sterling, his remarkable miss aside, was bright and energetic, more the player who has thrived under Pep Guardiola than sank without trace under Roy Hodgson. Lallana is at the peak of his powers, inventive and incisive, and now boasts goals in successive England matches. Daniel Sturridge’s opener was superbly taken to make a mockery of his lack of Premier League goals to date this term, while Danny Rose’s drives down the left consistently wounded the Scots. In the passages of play when England clicked, they exposed these opponents for what they are. The vulnerability of Scotland’s defence was as alarming here as it had been in Trnava last month.
5) Teams’ show of respect may come at a cost
Remembrance felt right, but England and Scotland await Fifa’s judgment. Armistice day was observed in the right way here, with fans self-policing to choke the occasional untimely shout of allegiance in the stands as three wreathes were laid in the centre-circle, the lone bugler sounded the Last Post and the crowd hushed. Both sets of players wore black armbands sporting poppies, with the respective associations now waiting to see what sanction, if any, is flung their way by world football’s governing body. Fifa will consider its match commissioner’s official report before deciding whether there is a case to be heard by an independent disciplinary committee. Both the FA and Scottish FA will anticipate a fine, even if there is scope for other sanctions, including point deductions, to be imposed. Regardless, those at Wembley will insist the right course of action was pursued.
