The urge to linger on Kobbie Mainoo’s very un‑English piece of midfield play was understandable. So much hope was packed into the moment when Mainoo took the ball on the half‑turn, got his head up, weighed up the simple pass back to Ezri Konsa and then decided against the safe option.
Here he was: England’s answer to Luka Modric, their very own Andrea Pirlo, a talent with the technique and ability to beat the press, control the tempo and cut opponents open by seeing the kind of openings that simply would not occur to the other players hoping to fill the third spot in Gareth Southgate’s midfield.
