England’s wait for a place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 will have to wait as a tame performance from the Three Lions saw them cling on to a 0-0 draw with Scotland.
Scotland started bright and were close to scoring after just four minutes when Che Adam’s low run was blocked by John Stones, who saw a nod crash off the post shortly after. The tempo remained high and Stephen O’Donnell had the second best chance of the game, with his excellent volley that took an equally impressive save from Jordan Pickford in half an hour.
The shots were on top after the break and came close again to take the lead. Reece James appeared in the right place at the right time to clear a Lyndon Dykes effort from the line.
England enjoyed a lot of possession but simply did not do enough to challenge Scotland, whose fans were by far the happiest when the referee ended the procedure.
The Stones should have opened the scoring / Andy Rain – Pool / Getty Images
Jordan Pickford (GK) -7/10 – Made an excellent save to deny O’Donnell and looked quite comfortable on what was otherwise a quiet evening. Pulled out a ridiculous pass to Sterling as well.
Reece James (RB) – 5/10 – Could not handle the combination of Tierney and Robertson. Overwhelmed at the back and did not have his head up forward. Saved the day with a finish line from Dykes.
John Stones (CB) – 7/10 – A good early block to deny Adams and followed it up with the best chance of the first half. Continued to make important blocks on Adams all the time.
Tyrone Mings (CB) – 6/10 – Bulled Dykes early but quickly began to lose that battle. Struggled to limit the big striker.
Luke Shaw (LB) – 6/10 – O’Donnell could not be traced on a number of occasions but had general control over what he did. Need to offer more in attack.
The foot did not do enough / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Declan Rice (DM) – 4/10 – A passenger for most of the game. Did not want the ball from the midfielders and offered nothing in the future. Too many side cards.
Kalvin Philips (DM) – 5/10 – Did not look like the executive who dominated against Croatia. Do not join the game at all.
Phil Foden (RM) – 5/10 – Had some really fun moments but didn’t look for the ball enough. Felt like a passenger too often.
Mason Mount (AM) – 5/10 – A strange performance from Mount. Did some sublime workouts but lacked the kind of intensity you expect from him in the press. Made it too easy for Scotland.
Raheem Sterling (LM) – 4/10 – Created an excellent chance for Mount but did very little else. Really struggled to get involved and thought McTominay was tough competition.
Kane was awful / MATT DUNHAM / Getty Images
Harry Kane (ST) – 2/10 – Did anyone forget to tell Kane that he actually got to play tonight? Deservedly replaced. Again.
Grealish tried to give a spark / Andy Rain – Pool / Getty Images
Jack Grealish – 6/10
Marcus Rashford – 6/10
Tierney was excellent / JUSTIN TALLIS / Getty Images
David Marshall (GK) – 6/10 – Had to watch and hope when Stone’s nod came back from the post but had very little to do all the time. Made a good save to dent Mount early in the second half.
Scott McTominay (CB) – 7/10 – Had a shaky start and almost gifted Mount a goal, but calmed down quickly. Hounded Sterling and usually came out on top.
Grant Hanley (CB) – 7/10 – Had Kane in his back pocket all the time and made Twitter go wild because of it.
Kieran Tierney (CB) – 8/10 – You can see why Scotland missed Tierney so much against the Czechs. He was absolutely superb at both ends of the field here, tormenting James in attack and keeping England at a distance at the back.
Gilmour was excellent / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
Stephen O’Donnell (RM) – 7/10 – Most people did not want him to start, but O’Donnell was excellent here. Had fans of his seats with his volleyball and enjoyed dancing around Shaw on a regular basis.
John McGinn (CM) – 7/10 – Lacked calm early, made a handful of fouls and earned a yellow for disagreement, but settled down quickly. Helped to control the midfield under very little pressure.
Billy Gilmour (CM) – 8/10 – This child is special. At his first start in Scotland, the youngster ran the process, dictating the pace of the game and pulling all the strings. Excellent.
Callum McGregor (CM) – 6/10 – Probably the most ineffective of Scotland’s midfielders, but McGregor still pulled his weight. Kept things ticking but took a back seat to Gilmour and McGinn.
Andy Robertson (LM) – 7/10 – Charged up and down to the left all night. Looks like a machine. Insert some excellent intersections but just could not find the right man.
Adams should have scored / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Che Adams (ST) – 7/10 – Maybe not had the best night in front of goal but offered everything else. Some fantastic movement and coupling play, and with a little more fortune he would have scored.
Lyndon Dykes (ST) – 5/10 – Put his body around a lot but did not actually give much note. Looked a little dull at times.
Armstrong replaced Gilmour / Stu Forster / Getty Images
Stuart Armstrong – 6/10
Kevin Nisbet – Not applicable
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