They could have swept Croatia aside. Not by the six-goal margin Spain achieved last month, but certainly with an echo of the 4-1 scoreline that was a high water mark of the Fabio Capello era, back in 2008.
Eric Dier hit a post, Harry Kane hit the bar, and in the space of two minutes in the second half, Marcus Rashford wasted two excellent opportunities that should have put the World Cup finalists away in their own, eerily empty stadium by the sea. Having been outplayed by the same opponents in Russia in the summer, this was definitely an improvement.
Yet the positives — Ben Chilwell’s impressive full debut and a first sight of Jadon Sancho, who became the youngest England debutant in a competitive game since Duncan Edwards — came with a feeling of disappointment, of what might have been.
It is going to be almost impossible to top this Nations League group ahead of Spain, but a win would have made it very unlikely England could be relegated. Now they have work to do against Croatia at Wembley still, when victory here is what they deserved.
It was a bizarre atmosphere, obviously, shorn of fans, but it would be doing Gareth Southgate’s players a disservice to advance that as mitigation for Croatia’s shortcomings. England changed their system and, for the most part, did well — but a night of frustration in front of goal will have been compounded by bookings for Jordan Henderson and John Stones that will keep both players out of Monday’s match against Spain in Seville. England will need all the defensive smarts they can muster for that encounter — and better finishing, too.
Indeed, it is essential they find a more clinical approach if they are to make progress before the 2020 European Championship. They cannot afford to let a team as good as Croatia off the hook. And while the efforts that hit the woodwork were tough, Rashford’s pair were crying out to be converted.
The first, in the 55th minute, came from an excellent cross by Kyle Walker, perfectly picking out the Manchester United man. It needed a firm, confident finish, instead Rashford was weak, his connection was scuffed and poor, and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic mopped it up comfortably.
The second, if anything, was worse. Rashford was through with only Livakovic to beat but the young man telegraphed his intentions and the goalkeeper plucked the ball from its path.
Fortunately, Croatia were not a patch on their World Cup form, and chances at the other end were scarce. There was, however, a reminder of the potential consequences for wasteful teams. With three minutes to go, Tim Jedvaj crossed, Andrej Kramaric steered a header goalwards and Stones cleared it off the line. Just before, Ante Rebic came close to scoring one of the goals of the season had a curling shot been just a little tighter to the far post.
This is the first England international played behind closed doors and, without doubt, that would have felt a little unnerving. As an onlooker it’s the little noises that stand out when the crowd is missing.
It comes as no surprise that Henderson is very, shall we say, vocal — ‘are you the f****** ref?’ he asked Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic during one fraught moment — or that Rashford’s scream when brutally taken out by Mateo Kovacic could be heard from the other side of the stadium. Jordan Pickford has a mouth on him, too. Most goalkeepers do.
It was a decent game but missed vital moments of elevation. When Croatia should have scored through Kramaric after 37 minutes there would have been a mighty noise that might have perhaps inspired them to take the initiative.
The same when Dier’s header hit a post two minutes before half-time. There were English voices but they floated eerily from a black hillside, unseen, like the noise of the camouflaged invading army, coming to claim Macbeth.
There were stewards posted in the area to move on any fans seeking a vantage point but the atmosphere seemed convivial amid the gloom.
Half the pitch was obscured and at one stage the fans called for Pickford to give them a wave, being the only England man in view. Many England fans who had already committed to the game came anyway, and watched from bars in town.
It seemed a pity that they were punished for the misbehaviour of their Croatian hosts. A swastika spray-painted on a sign near the ground was a reminder of why this match was behind closed doors — but quite why Chilwell or Sancho’s friends and family were banned from seeing such a momentous moment for their young men is a question UEFA should answer. Sancho’s appearance was a cameo but in that time contained two lightning sprints. There is a player there, have no doubt of that.
The two teams had met in a World Cup semi-final three months earlier and were rightfully respectful of each other. Southgate even went so far as changing his system to accommodate Croatia, switching to a back four and a midfield three. It was a partial success in that chances were limited, but England lost a little of their World Cup vibrancy, certainly in the first half.
They missed Kieran Trippier’s crosses and set-pieces, while Ross Barkley and Rashford were surprisingly quiet on the left. Chilwell was lively down that side, though, and could have given England the lead after 12 minutes when his cross was cut out by Josip Pivaric with Raheem Sterling almost in at the far post.
Southgate will be very frustrated to be without Henderson and Stones on Monday — both were booked for fouls on Ivan Rakitic — but the most foolish booking of the night belonged to Sterling. Flagged offside, he carried on his run and shot high into an empty stand. What might he claim? That he hadn’t heard the whistle above the crowd?