England vs France: Three Lions given seven months to close the gap on world's elite

'This is one game where I don’t think we’ve been outclassed'

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The quotation pinned to the wall outside the room where Roy Hodgson stopped to talk in Alicante on Friday night was an expression of the philosophy which had made Spain’s performance such a chastening experience for England. “Siempre entrenamos con balon. Nunca vi a un pianist sin el piano,” it read: “We always train with a ball. I never saw a pianist without a piano.” And beneath it, misspelt in small print, was the name of the man who proffered this piece of wisdom: “Brendan Rogers [sic].”

Rodgers, the man who would be England’s assistant manager by now if Harry Redknapp had had his way, is no longer considered quite the prophet he once was, though the challenge in the seven months before the European Championship is simply to assemble 11 players up to the task. Even though Friday night’s squad was injury-ravaged, the evidence of the 90 minutes of a 2-0 defeat was that hopes of tournament success must wait for another day: 2018 or 2020.

Hodgson had declared before the game that the strategy to take on Spain was counter-attack. Gary Cahill said afterwards that England were not a counter-attacking team. “That’s not really the sole or only plan,” he observed.

It was actually a case of any port in a storm where facing Spain was concerned because the squad lists revealed the same gulf in class that we saw on the pitch. The contrasts were everywhere, but Spain’s poise and composure on the ball is what really marked them out as several classes higher than England. Sergio Busquets destroyed the plan to make Ross Barkley the fulcrum of a counter-attacking strategy. It was the Barcelona midfielder’s ability to shield the defence which allowed the rest of the side to advance so confidently.

Cahill, who is expected to partner John Stones in another prototype central defence against France tomorrow, and Joe Hart both felt otherwise. Cahill said he thought “the result flattered them a little bit.” He believed that the game was “very cagey up until the [Mario Gaspar] goal which was very special” and that “this is one game where I don’t think we’ve been outclassed.”

Hart said he felt “the game was starting to turn” when Spain scored, by which time Vicente del Bosque’s players had “run out of ideas”. “The goal they scored was one of the only ways they were going to get through,” he added. Frankly, these both seemed to be incredibly one-eyed views of the match. The 2-0 scoreline was fitting.

The positives were a defence that looked far more secure, with Chris Smalling continuing to impress and Phil Jones secure alongside him. Raheem Sterling – England’s best player – and Ryan Bertrand linked well down the left flank. But Hodgson’s will tell his players they cannot repeatedly concede cheap possession next summer in the way they did on the Costa Blanca. Serial offender Sterling gifted Spain the ball which ended up with Mario’s wonder-goal

Jamie Vardy’s fluid on the knee has ruled him out for the game against France, meaning Harry Kane is likely to start in attack again with Wayne Rooney behind him. Jonjo Shelvey is set to start instead of Michael Carrick, who suffered ligament damage. Kieran Gibbs is likely to come in for Bertrand.