North Macedonia 1-1 England: Rating the players as Three Lions complete an unbeaten 2023

The ever-giddy Gareth Southgate made six changes for England’s all-important clash with North Macedonia where they needed to avoid a 9-0 defeat to ensure a space among the top seeds for next summer’s Euros. Perhaps explains a cagey England performance, definitely explains one that rarely reached full throttle except when railing against some idiosyncratic officiating in a low-key, low-energy game. Some did okay, some didn’t. Wasn’t great, didn’t really matter. Soon be Christmas.

JORDAN PICKFORD
Will be a bit miffed not to have pushed a mediocre penalty to safer ground having made the save. Had precious little else to do despite the occasional nervousness and shape-loss in front of him.

KYLE WALKER
Captain for the first time when winning his 81st cap on a memorable night for Manchester City full-backs at opposite ends of their careers. Solid enough, but occasionally pulled out of position. North Macedonia’s attacks were not frequent, but England’s defensive shape was often alarmingly awry when those attacks occurred.

RICO LEWIS
Impressive and tenacious on his debut at 18. The first and most definitely not the last cap of his England career, and if the absurd but in the grand scheme fairly insignificant decision of VAR to award a penalty against him for winning a header while flagrantly and provocatively possessing arms ends up being the biggest disappointment of that England career, then he’ll have done okay. It really was a deeply puzzling decision, though, perhaps all part of a ruse to prove the truism that These Things Even Out given Harry Maguire’s earlier escape.

HARRY MAGUIRE
Enormously fortunate not to concede a penalty when stumbling comically into Eljif Elmas on a rare Macedonian counter-attack midway through the first half. It was a clear penalty, and if the ref was in any doubt he should have given it on principle for Maguire’s pompously dismissive finger wag as he got back to his feet after clattering clumsily into his opponent. Not a particularly convincing night for a player whose recent direction of travel had been positive.

MARC GUEHI
He’s now England’s third-choice centre-back until he isn’t. Has done very little wrong in an England shirt, which cannot be said for many of his contemporaries and rivals for the shirt.

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
Early loose pass set the tone for a sloppy old midfield performance from a player England are still trying to get the best out of. His set-piece delivery was also pretty shoddy, with England’s equaliser coming at the precise moment Phil Foden replaced him on corner duty (and also the precise moment that England’s all-time leading goalscorer came on, which might be relevant).

DECLAN RICE
His usual quietly reliable and secure self in midfield. Just standard Declan Rice things, these days. There is no more reliable deliverer of at least a baseline 7/10 for England than Rice. Thundered one shot from distance that cannoned off the post, prompting renowned property expert Dion Dublin to inform us all on commentary that ‘It’s actually not a bad strike’ in a manner that suggested a genuine concern that people might think a shot from distance that cannoned off the post was in fact a bad strike.

BUKAYO SAKA
Not as good as he was in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, but no shame in that. One beautiful run set up what appeared to be the equaliser for Jack Grealish only for VAR to (eventually) spot Grealish was quite demonstrably offside.

PHIL FODEN
Felt like a performance that was good but didn’t have the impact it might have done on another day. There were a lot of nearly moments for Foden in the central role behind the striker. He took up lots of good positions and had lots of nice touches that England didn’t always quite make best use of. Seemed happier when Harry Kane came on, which is understandable enough.

JACK GREALISH
Grealish’s previous 11 England appearances had all come from the bench and in truth there was little here to suggest Grealish is about to stake a claim for a starting role. Early interplay with Rice down the left nearly set up a chance for Watkins but proved to be a false dawn on a night that grew increasingly frustrating for the City man. A hugely useful option off the bench, but probably no more than that right now.

OLLIE WATKINS
A missed opportunity. Gareth Southgate said before the game that England would have to play to Watkins’ strengths rather than expect him to play like Harry Kane, but it wasn’t really clear England ever really tried to do that. But Watkins himself will know he could and should have done more to get himself involved despite patchy service. That Kane forced (if not quite scored) the equaliser moments after coming on will grate a touch, too.

Substitutes

HARRY KANE (for Watkins, 58)
Didn’t get the touch for the equaliser but certainly forced the mistake. At least this way it’s a goal that actual official sources will take from him, thus saving us the bother. Admitted afterwards he hadn’t got a touch, which was surprising given his past but does provide all the confirmation required.

KALVIN PHILLIPS  (for Alexander-Arnold, 84)
Late run-out for the occasional footballer as England pursued a winner with half-hearted vigour.

MARCUS RASHFORD (for Grealish, 84)
Whacked a free-kick wide and ran a ball out of play.

COLE PALMER (for Saka, 84)
Was little doubt it would happen, but nice to get out of the one-cap wonder club at the first opportunity. Next game isn’t for ages now.