[Devongone]

First Vardy's success has come as part of a team which thrived on very limited possession and space created by opposition attacks. Why are we surprised he didn't succeed against a team prepared to surrender possession in search of a clean sheet? Secondly, Lallana creates loads of danger when winning back the ball in the opponent's half. This is absolutely nullified when the opponent sits as deep as Slovakia. We won back the ball and immediately lost it again to the three Slovakian defenders expecting just such an eventuality. Third we played Handerson who clearly forfeited all his creativity when building extra muscle in the gym. He has zero and near-miss written over his every attacking move. Fourth Wilshere is an addict of the penetrative-looking forward dink which never actually creates anything more than an ooooh or an aaaah, and he combines this nicely with an ability to surrender possession at inopportune moments. Fifth and last Sturridge works best with a player who creates confusion, like Suarez did at Liverpool. He needed not a predictable Kane, or ball-over-the-top Vardy, but Rashford still trying out the extent of his skills, for whom Slovakia couldn't have been prepared.

Like all managers Mr Hodgson makes mistakes. He did last night. If I were him I'd be worrying about Joe Hart who suddenly looks like a rabbit in the headlights, keeping the magnificent Eric Dier fully-fit and whether I had the bottle to start Rashford with Sturridge (leaving Vardy and Kane's goals on the bench) and fit Rooney in behind them against a team like perhaps Portugal. I'd have tried it last night! If we play a good team that will really press us then Kane and Vardy become realistic options. If we can get to a good team that is.