No Danish Dynamite in England's Drab Draw

Last updated : 09 September 2020 By Three Lions

The Three Lions played out a goalless stalemate in Copenhagen on Tuesday evening, Gareth Southgate being left with plenty of food for thought after his side's Scandinavian trip.

England's performance mirrored that in Iceland on Saturday without the comfort of a winning goal in a game of few clear-cut opportunities but which Harry Kane could have snatched for the visitors in the final moments.

There were debuts for Conor Coady of Wolves, Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and, as substitutes, Jack Grealish of Aston Villa and Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Talking Points:

Southgate's caution questioned - For the first time since the summer of 2018 there have been genuine questions asked of the manager, specifically his tactical caution in opting for two defensive midfielders in both of these games.

A game too far? - The alterations to the football calendar haven't helped England (or international football generally) as the excitement of a summer tournament has been replaced by yet more shadow boxing before the real thing. Coming so close to the end of the last club season and the start of this, these were two matches Southgate could possibly have done without.

Welsh fire could help: - Friendly fixtures don't normally capture the imagination either but the arrival of a buoyant Wales side at Wembley next month will hopefully spark England's attackers into life.