Ukraine 1-1 England: Rating the players as Three Lions go through the motions | OneFootball

The England team line up before a stodgy stalemate with Ukraine.

If Gareth Southgate hoped for an authoritative performance from Jordan Henderson, he must be sorely disappointed. But no one else in red really shone against Ukraine…

Jordan Pickford Ukraine’s goal aside, which he was powerless to prevent, Pickford had not a save to make. The England keeper swept up once in the first half when Mykhylo Mudryk threatened to burn off Kyle Walker, but Pickford’s biggest challenge was to avoid the temptation to manufacture a way to join in.

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Ben Chilwell With Jude Bellingham and then Marcus Rashford struggling to find space ahead of him, Chilwell was unable to get forward as it might have liked. Occasionally the left-back tried the inside route but, like everyone else, he found himself running into traffic. Ukraine’s goal came from Chillwell’s side but there was little he could do while being outnumbered on the overlap.

Harry Maguire The Manchester United defender seemed to have more joy in the Ukraine box than any other England player in the second half, but two headers drifted over and he received a caution late on – much to his bemusement – for stumbling into the hosts’ keeper. These days, you would not blame Maguire for being content to get off the pitch without being privy to any form of calamity, and he conducted what few defensive duties he had with competence. Understandably, he lacks confidence in possession, and with John Stones missing, England’s distribution from the back was laboured and painfully safe.

Marc Guehi Guehi’s selection as Stones’ stand-in suggests he is first reserve centre-back in Southgate’s mind. The Palace defender did nothing wrong, but with Ukraine dropping off and allowing the England centre-backs plenty of the ball, Guehi and Maguire were too happy to recycle possession when there was ample opportunity to step in, or stop and invite a press. Guehi is perhaps a better replacement for Maguire than a partner.

Kyle Walker Twelve years and 71 caps Walker had to wait for his first England goal and it came just as a frustrating half-time loomed. The right-back made similar runs through the first period but it took for Harry Kane to drop into a midfield pocket before anyone could find him. Lovely first touch and a composed finish. Walker was perfectly competent with his more mundane duties, shackling Mudryk. The Chelsea winger looked faster than Walker in the first period but that was the only occasion he got away.

Declan Rice On the scene but not really present for Ukraine’s opener. Rice was too slow to help Chillwell and when he did amble over, Zinchencko had slipped off the back of him. The £100million man wasn’t helped by his midfield partner going AWOL, mind. In possession, Rice lacked his usual drive and his passing was painfully safe.

Jordan Henderson Football’s bullsh*tter of the week hardly helped out his manager, who must have hoped for an authoritative performance to justify his selection. Instead, Henderson looked off the pace, illustrated best when he was late on the scene for Ukraine’s goal. Was it necessary to have two holding midfielders with Ukraine sat so deep? Maybe not, though with no real urgency to win the game in terms of the qualifying picture, Henderson playing for 90 minutes allowed Southgate to play it safe, perhaps while making a point to anyone keen to dictate his selection policy.

Jude Bellingham Showed some early touches that suggested he was about to bring his Real Madrid form to the international stage but Bellingham faded as the first half wore on. Playing off the left, understandably, he drifted inside but straight into the Ukraine trap. Southgate sought a more direct approach for the last quarter which was sound logic.

Bukayo Saka  Not Saka’s night; not England’s night. Which probably isn’t a coincidence. The Arsenal winger came closest to a winner for the Three Lions but his drive after cutting inside was brilliantly diverted on to the crossbar by Heorhii Bushcan. Saka seemed to pick up a knock early on which may have restricted him. Or perhaps he was just caught up in the malaise with everyone else.

James Maddison Given the central role he’s thrived in for Tottenham but Maddison struggled to have anything like the same impact. On the few occasions he was found in good positions, his touch was askew, especially when played in by Bellingham in the first half. His game was summed up by a booking received for a foul after failing to win one of his own.

Harry Kane Having listened to Dion Dublin spend the first 41 minutes urging Kane to stand up front between the Ukraine centre-backs, it was a glorious sight when the Bayern Munich striker dropped deep, so deep, to play the quarterback role and lay on Walker’s leveller with an inch-perfect long pass. Dublin – and Thomas Tuchel, apparently – want Kane to remain the furthest man forward, but the No.9 is so important as a No.10 for Southgate, especially when the rest of the England team are so reluctant to stray more than a few yards from their post.

Substitutes

Marcus Rashford (for Bellingham, 65) Thrown on to offer some penetration but had little more joy getting on the ball than Bellingham. And when he had it in deep positions, his forward passing was sloppy. Literally tripped over the ball late on.

Phil Foden (for Maddison, 65)

Conor Gallagher (for Saka, 86)  The personification of Southgate’s contentment with a point.