World Cup 2018: England's second-string players fail to challenge established stars in peculiar Belgium defeat

The Three Lions boss might have hoped that some of his back-ups had given him the sort of headache managers like to have

There are many words that could be used to describe this game, but one of the few vaguely complimentary ones would be that it was an audition, a real chance for England’s second-string players - and Belgium’s, for that matter - to show what they can do and insert themselves into the selection picture.

On a weird evening where a loss felt a little like a win for Gareth Southgate, he might have hoped that some of his back-ups had given him the sort of headache managers like to have. Those topsy-turvy emotions were not such an issue for the players out on the field, with nobody able to question the commitment of England’s players in their quest for victory.

Jamie Vardy, for example, hared around the field as if this was his childhood dream. Funny, that. Alongside him Marcus Rashford made troublesome runs that, on occasion, split the Belgium defence, at one point finding himself with just Thibaut Courtois between him and a first-ever World Cup goal only for the giant Belgian to save with his fingertips.

As good a save as it was from Courtois it would have felt much more like an opportunity spurned for the Manchester United man, as this game was itself. Talked of as a replacement for Raheem Sterling before the destruction of Panama in Nizhny Novgorod, this was a chance for the young spark-plug to take advantage of Thomas Vermaelen’s questionable fitness and long-gone speed to shred the Belgian backline. He did that bit well but it was his final product that let him down in an audition on the biggest stage.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek showed flashes, as he has in his substitute appearances, and Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t look dwarfed by the occasion on his World Cup debut but he didn’t do enough to make Southgate consider the place of one of his standout performers thus far, Kieran Trippier.

Perhaps most likely to push for a starting place on the back of this is Danny Rose, who provided some balance on the left-hand side and looked match sharp despite his prolonged absence from the game.

England's second string failed to fire in Kaliningrad (PA)

But with the good feeling in the squad - a feeling unlikely to be dented by this gift wearing the disguise of defeat - it is difficult to see Southgate swapping the Tottenham man in for Ashley Young when England play their first knockout tie under his stewardship in Moscow on Tuesday.

Against Colombia the England manager will ring the changes, but it will only be to restore his established starters, eight well-rested players whose places in the first XI were barely challenged on this peculiar World Cup evening.