COMMENT: Well, England got away with it in Kyiv
In 1997, England pulled off a famous goalless draw in Rome to secure their place at the World Cup in France. This night in Kyiv did not summon up the same idea of heroics against the odds – although the term hero could be applied to Gary Cahill for the powerful defensive performance which was the bedrock of the result.
Any sense of defiance had to be tempered by the idea that England got away with one here.
They did not squeeze out the point because they kept possession and tactical discipline so well that it thwarted the Ukrainians.
Instead, they just about kept their shape. Instead, they somehow muddled through. Instead, they escaped, in the end, because the home team was so patently lacking in any clue what to do around the England penalty area – despite the swiftness and fluency of some of their build-up play.
Beyond the ramifications of this night and the immediate fact that at least England have secured their own destiny, there was the worrying sight of Jack Wilshere being hauled off after one of the most disjointed performances of his fledgling international career.
This is the player who is our big hope for the future. His inability to find his passing range or even stay on his feet much of the time mirrored the sterile performances alongside him of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
As for Wilshere? We just have to hope that this was an off-night.
Yet again, too much possession was surrendered. So yet again, England invited their opposition to swarm at them, just as they had done in Montenegro last March. It was only the fact that Ukraine were not nearly as good as we thought they were which rescued Hodgson from this trap.
Oddly, from the moment that Yehven Konoplianka swept down the left in the first minute and nearly forced the nervous Joe Hart into conceding a penalty from his cross, there was a dark, edgy attractiveness about this match.
England forced six corners in the first half which happened because, then, at least, they offered some kind of attacking impetus on the break.
This was a night, though, when Rickie Lambert ended up isolated and tired up front.
Paradoxically, that was no slight upon his own adaptation to this standard of international football. Instead, it was just another reflection of the fact that England simply don’t have very much to offer and are merely muddling their way towards Rio.