Three things we learned from worrying England defeat as Phil Foden experiment fails | OneFootball

False nine test falters against Japan in absence of Harry Kane as Thomas Tuchel left with plenty of concerns ahead of World Cup squad selection

Good news for anyone suffering from an early onset of World Cup fever. For the second time in four days, England served up the perfect cure for any premature excitement or over-optimistic predictions.

Injuries prevented the former and the latter surely cannot be true, for the sake of England's World Cup ambitions.

Japan were deserved 1-0 winners at Wembley through Kaoru Mitoma's first-half strike, starting and finishing a move after Cole Palmer was dispossessed. There were boos at full-time.

Come the summer this match will hold no huge significance, but only pre-World Cup friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica now stand between England and the serious business. There is real work to do.

Tuchel has failed to win only three of his 12 matches in charge of England. A concerning point, though, is that those are the three games that have come against opposition inside the top 20 of the FIFA world rankings.

Senegal beat England 3-1 at the City Ground last June, Uruguay earned a draw on Friday, and now Japan came away from Wembley with victory.

The two matches during this international break have been particularly concerning. England have looked stodgy and bereft of ideas in attack and vulnerable at the back.

The hope will be that returning stars, such as Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, will make a big difference. There is no doubt the trio should significantly raise the level.

However, England are now relying on it being alright on the night. They will not face a top side again until their World Cup opener against Croatia.

Against lesser opposition during Tuchel's reign, England have efficiently ticked along. However, when the level of opposition has stepped up, they have not.

Foden playing out of position is not a suitable back-up for Harry Kane

Bradley Collyer/PA Wire

Foden experiment falls flat

Squeezing as many attacking midfielders as possible into the lineup is nothing new for England.

Here was an answer on how you get Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer into the same team. You don't. And you especially don't start Foden as a false nine.

The number on the back of his shirt was about as good as Foden's impression of a striker got.

The ball bounced off him whenever England needed it held up and he was otherwise starved of possession. Five minutes into the second half and no England player, not even Jordan Pickford, had had fewer touches.

Nico O'Reilly stood up one great cross to the back post in the first half. Where Kane would surely have thundered a header in, Foden was beaten in the air by Daichi Kamada.

Tuchel is on the hunt for a back-up to Kane, who missed this match due to injury. Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin did not impress against Uruguay and Foden failed his audition here as he was hooked inside an hour.

Increasing the FA's cotton wool budget for Kane might be the best Plan B currently available to Tuchel.

Hall pushes his case

Ideally this international break would have got Tuchel closer to something resembling a first-choice starting lineup.

Lewis Hall has only been handed two cameos off the bench, but there was enough in both for Tuchel to seriously consider the Newcastle defender as his left-back.

Djed Spence was poor against Uruguay and is an unnatural fit on that flank. O'Reilly is a far better option there and had some good moments against Japan, particularly when twisting to create the space for a good cross towards the back post.

Lewis Hall could be England’s best starting left-back option for the World Cup

The FA via Getty Images

However, while he might be the better player in terms of what he offers across the pitch, Hall looks the better fit for this England side.

With so many players naturally inclined to drift inside, England need to find ways to keep the width and stretch defences.

Hall did exactly that after coming on, bursting into the Japanese box and giving them a very different threat to contend with. He offered real pace and drive, and went close to equalising in the 89th minute with a well-struck low effort.

This England side struggled for balance across the pitch, but Hall looks capable of offering that on the left.