England's concerning San Marino comparison highlights work needed ahead of Qatar World Cup

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Only San Marino scored fewer than England during this round of Nations League fixtures. It’s not difficult to work out how many the tiny microstate mustered.

The Three Lions, with all our supposed attacking riches, managed Harry Kane’s solitary late penalty against the Germans - on a par with Gibraltar and Liechtenstein - and fewer than Luxembourg and the Faroe Islands.

And we’re contenders for the World Cup? Pah. Given this, with just five months to go before the plane departs, you might think boss Gareth Southgate is wrestling with a variety of issues up front.

For instance, how he can look back on those matches and feel Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is a better bet than Manchester City’s Jack Grealish? In my book, not even a discussion.

But - past performances suggest that as long as the skipper and Raheem Sterling stay fit - England will find the net. However, if we are going to prosper in Qatar it’s not the goals for that we need to worry about.

It’s the goals against. History tells us that the sides that concede fewest will prosper - and Southgate’s got a monstrous problem at the heart of his defence. He needs a solution.

It was the same at the European Championships last year. Eventually, he came up with the idea that Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips could be used as a shield in front of a back four.

Why would you do that?

Well, he doesn’t trust any of his centre-halves not to make the one