Jack Grealish’s cameo in Munich reminds England of their better selves

For all the minor chords around this current run of close-season internationals, the sense of something frazzled and desiccated at the end of a gruelling year, there was a light, fun quality to this 1-1 draw in Munich.

This was a breezy game that meant nothing, that ended all square, but which still threw up its own subplots in the shape of Harry and Jack, two England players who are currently auditioning for their own parts in England’s plan of attack.

Germany in Munich is always going to be fist-pumping alpha-dog stuff, and the the Allianz Arena was a lovely spectacle at kick-off, an eggshell sky peering in through the oval space portal in the roof of this vast alien doughnut ditched on the outskirts of Munich. These England breaks can work as a tonic too, something restorative. For Harry Maguire in particular this England camp has been cast by some as a kind of retreat, a find-yourself-again camp. The noises will fade. The lights will guide you home. And I, Gareth, will try, to fix you.

It was a big night in other ways for Jack Grealish, another player in need of a little love, who came on for the final 20 minutes with England trailing and changed the game just enough. And they were poor here in patches, resembling at times a team that has become a little stuck.

Gareth Southgate went for a back four here, the classic early noughties 4-2-3-1 which has been a little overlooked by him as he fiddles with the details of his defensive formations. It seemed to drain some of England’s ease in possession, not helped by the speed and fury of Germany’s early pressing. The back five played 30 long passes in the first half. It didn’t feel like the future.

England were 1-0 down, and deservedly so, when Grealish came on to play wide