Pre-season is a time for experimentation and that is precisely what this was. A result that dented England’s Nations League aspirations was an unwanted part of the equation –
Belgium, who beat Iceland, are now in charge of the section – but, with so much being seen through the prism of the European Championship finals at the end of the season, what could Gareth Southgate learn?
The short answer was he saw too much to trouble him, particularly during a tepid first half, and not enough to encourage. Southgate tested a 3-4-3 formation, which got a little tighter in the second half, even if chances were still conceded and – with a couple of tweaks – provided a platform for
England to get on to the front foot.