England beaten by Belgium - now for Colombia.

England beaten by Belgium - now for Colombia.

It was always likely to happen and indeed it did. England reserves were beaten by Belgium's reserves or that's how it seemed to some of us. These were the last, flickering embers of England's final group match of World Cup 2018 and some of the natives were restless. The beads of sweat are trickling down our faces and finger nails are being bitten to the quick once again. We've all been here with England so what's new?

 Out there in the pubs, clubs, restaurants and wine bars of England, there were one or two stifled moans, a number of weary yawns and the first signs of scepticism from England's hitherto loyal fanbase. The flags of St George were still flying from the highest steeples, rooftops and, for that matter, firmly plastered on every shop  window and living room window. England's international football team are still on our minds.

But last night some of the hinges seemed to be creaking, a fair quantity of oil was needed and from time to time England were wobbling, tottering, slipping and sliding without ever really collapsing. Until now things have been tickety boo, good as gold and most of us have been singing a song. Everything has been going swimmingly well for Gareth Southgate's young, freshly scrubbed, and angelic team. This has all been very new for this current crop of England players and you suspect that Belgium was one game too far for England.

After the demolition of Panama and the more workmanlike victory against Tunisia, England came into their final group match against Belgium rather like poker players who insist on keeping their cards close to their chest. In the end Belgium's winning goal was rather like a sharp prod in the back of the England team because up until this point England have been like tourists in Hyde Park casually minding their business.

For a team who had already scored eight goals in their first two matches, England looked as though they were ready to lay out their rug on the grass and indulge themselves in a hearty picnic. Sadly though, this was never the case and nor did we expect it to be. At times it almost looked as if both Belgium and England had signed a contract whereby none would break any clause in that contract at any time. It was all very honourable and respectable with both sides agreeing to abide to the small print.

And so the game proceeded in quite the most casual and leisurely fashion, both sides tip tapping hundreds of small, sweet, short clusters of passes to each other and then circling around each other in some conspiratorial huddle. Then there were more rotations, military two steps, several cha cha chas before eventually the game found a rather blurry, indistinct shape and pattern. England began slowly and didn't really get out of second or third gear. England were well intentioned, serious and vaguely threatening but never really on the same wavelength.

This was an England reserve side who knew what the requirements were if they were to meet opposition who wouldn't unduly trouble them in the next round of the competition. It was either Colombia or Japan and never the twain should meet. It was hard to understand what exactly the England players next plans consisted of. Should they throw the dice in the hope that the calculated gamble would pay off or would they endeavour to go for broke?

And yet for the first time in this World Cup, England looked leggy, laboured and careworn, a pale shadow of their former selves, slightly out of kilter and maybe subconsciously thinking of more pressing tasks ahead of them. It is annoying when England football teams take their eyes off the ball for a second and it all loses everything in the translation. Still, at least nobody was hurt and England will live to fight another day. It's Colombia next Tuesday or it may have Japan on another day. Methinks there's a song in there. 

The fact was that England were not nearly the same side as the one who'd flattened Panama and marginally if impressively beat Tunisia. At the moment Gareth Southgate's young pups are still wet behind the ears and have yet to encounter opposition of genuine quality. Against Belgium they were struggling to find the right co-ordinates and when the ball did fall at their feet they invariably fumbled around with it like a hot potato, losing possession wantonly and then recognising an admittedly technically superior Belgium had a far greater worldliness about them.

At the back Spurs Danny Rose reminded you of a young foal stumbling awkwardly in the field and then falling to the ground helplessly when the stable looked by far the safer option. For the first half an hour Rose looked as if his positional play would save him but then a tide of red Belgian shirts surrounded him and Rose became a thorn in England's side.

For Phil Jones this was not one of his better evenings. Confident in possession quite regularly Jones began to look heavy footed and slightly cumbersome. When Jones pulls on a Manchester United shirt he looks both secure and responsible but in an England shirt Jones didn't quite hit the ground running. He carried the ball forward out of defence positively at times but Belgium then put the frighteners on him and everything looked uncertain.

Gary Cahill and John Stones dealt capably and efficiently with most of Belgium's smoothly purring attacking movements but Cahill is now reaching the twilight of his international career and Stones is just starting out. Stones does indeed look very powerful in the air and shrewd in his distribution. The goal he scored- England's first in the Panama rout- was highly encouraging- but there was to be no repetition against Belgium. There is something of the Terry Butcher about him, a tall, brave and no nonsense centre half who will very rarely allow anything to get past him.

Then there was England's patchwork midfield, a rag and tag and dysfunctional collection of players who just seemed to filling in as substitutes for the evening. Eric Dier, Tottenham's centre half, was moved further into an advanced midfield holding role and looked like a fish out of water. Dier seemed lost, bewildered and disoriented, a man searching for something he couldn't find.

Fabian Delph, who can look authoritative when the mood takes him, wasn't quite the player he can be at club level. Delph is more than capable of using the ball sensibly and productively but when it came to Belgium, Delph was more or less swallowed up by Belgium's perpetually dangerous attackers in full flight.

Liverpool's Trent Alexander Arnold, literally a novice at international level, does look as though he needs time to become fully acquainted with the pressures and demands that playing for England may impose. Still, generally speaking, there was nothing inherently wrong with Arnold at full back, cool, unfussy and competent at the back without ever grabbing the limelight.

Reuben Loftus Cheek, in some quarters at least could develop into one of England's most original and composed of midfield players. With the right kind of encouragement and guidance, Loftus Cheek may well one of the few players who can run at players at speed and still pick out splendidly measured passes to colleagues in space with both short and the long ball diagonal variety.

Alas though the likes of Marcus Rashford- who really does look a permanent fixture for England in years to come- can score goals whenever he likes in some profusion, horribly miscued what looked a certain goal for England. Put through once again, Rashford ran into the penalty area and with only the goalkeeper Thibald Courtois to beat, Rashford scuffed his shot and pulled the ball wide.

Jamie Vardy, the Leicester striker who, a couple of seasons ago, blasted open Premier League defences as Leicester cruised towards the Premier League title, now looked willing but not able. Vardy is a born goal scorer but for lengthy spells against Belgium, he seemed to be huffing and puffing laboriously, doing his utmost but without ever really threatening to score.

And so it was that Belgium, attractively supported by the ever progressive likes of Mousa Dembele, always a livewire in the Premier League, Thorgan Hazard replacing his older brother Eden, the unmistakable Marouane Fellaini and Michy Batshuayi up front, still managed to produce the cleverer and more judicious football.

However this was more or less Belgium's second eleven and with the superb Eden Hazard, the quite astonishingly gifted Kevin De Bruyne taking a breather on the bench and the brawny, bustling Romelu Lukaku desperate for a full run out in the team, Belgium look well equipped to go as far as they possibly can in this World Cup.

The winning goal for Belgium was a goal that deserved to win any match. After a quicksilver attacking burst just outside the England penalty area, Belgium found their decisive breakthrough. It was the former Manchester United youngster Adnan Januzaj who found the English net. Shuffling his feet, he dragged the ball across from one foot to another before bending a sumptuous shot high into the net, leaving Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford grasping at the thin air.

Now of course both Belgium and England are now required to have another go at constructing a case for winning the World Cup. Belgium will meet Japan, while England meet Colombia again in a World Cup. Football is full of weird and wonderful ironies and you have to wonder whether England can still find the necessary techniques and formulas for going all the way to the World Cup Final.

It was 20 years ago that David Beckham's fantastic free kick provided one of the goals for England to beat Colombia in France. Now they face the same opponents again in similar circumstances and for those snarling critics the sense of deja vu has once again crept back into this England team. Still, we're all right behind England and maybe the gloom and doom mongers should make themselves conspicuous by their absence.

At the end of the Panama game England boss Gareth Southgate, both stylish and fashionable, went over to the England fans gathered at one end of the ground. He clapped his hands appreciatively, carried out the most celebratory of fist pumps and then acknowledged the England fans very visible role in his team's ultimate success so far.

Meanwhile, out on the terraces the England fans were doing what seems to come naturally. For reasons best known to themselves they now seem to have adopted the most improbable of songs. 'Earth, Wind and Fire's' wonderful 'September' was music to some ears but singularly inexplicable. Maybe they're bored with 'The Great Escape' and think that it may become a self fulfilling prophecy when they come to the Colombia game. Still, 'From Russia with Love' still has a lovely ring to it.  It is time for some good, old fashioned English optimism.