Tunisia 1-2 England: Five things we learned

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VOLGOGRAD, RUSSIA – JUNE 18: Gareth Southgate, Manager of England prepares Ruben Loftus-Cheek of England to be substituted on during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between Tunisia and England at Volgograd Arena on June 18, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /

England need to find a way to play Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was a breath of fresh air for a tired England. A draw looked more and more like an inevitabilty, but the moment he came on, you could immediately see his fresh legs bringing on a more direct approach and drive from the midfield, which anyone failed to provide in the second half.

Gareth Southgate now has a decision to make – does he stick with Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli as Jordan Henderson’s midfield partners, or does he drop either of the fluid no.8s in favour of an actual passer of the ball.

While there’s barely any second thought about Lingard and Alli’s ability, their license to roam forward will be of benefit to a better team, as will be the fact that they aren’t really players who would rip a defence open for you from the central areas and when there’s not much space available. We saw how, when Tunisia got more and more compact, both of them began to struggle and England fell flat.

This is when you need someone like Loftus-Cheek, who has a presence in the middle and can dictate terms.