Rating of the players: England 0-1 Denmark

JORDAN PICKFORD

Oh no. At some point, it was inevitable that Everton Pickford would show up for England. The sentence was severe – if anything, Walker was fouled first by Delaney – but Pickford still had nothing to do with being anywhere around and only managed to confuse and overcrowd his own defender. Pickford, relying solely on the English form, could still easily fix such a mistake. Pickford lacks that luxury, and even his famous distribution abandoned him when he made a spectacular attempt to kick off a free kick from injury at The Mixer.

REECE JAMES

England’s most complete right-back? Perhaps. England’s best player on a very difficult night? No doubt. The connection game on the right with club colleague Mason Mount was a big bright spot in the first half hour. Tended to get into dangerous positions at the right time instead of standing there and waiting as TAA so often wears an English jersey. Obviously it all went wrong, but it wasn’t James’ (or Mount’s) fault either. First he moved to the left-back after being released, but rightly switched back with Kyle Walker and continued to impress. Because we can’t have nice things, we managed to get the referee pottymouthing after the final whistle. Sake.

AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES

Fulfilled the “right-back doing a viable job on the left” with absolute adequacy before he was the unfortunate man sacrificed at the altar of Maguire’s incompetence.

Kyle Walker

Deposed by his goalkeeper and fouled by his opponent before apparently conceding a penalty. After the fourth right-back, who played for England as a left-back for England last week, he continued to be a noticeable weak point. The year of our Lord 2020 remains thorough and determined of his tits.

CONOR COADY

I got away with an early wobble like Maguire didn’t spectacularly. Excellent intervention to deny Dolberg von Poulsen’s cross. Admirably coped with switching to a back four formation in which he never plays. Perhaps unfortunate not to win a late sentence in the newfound role as a threat to attack. His promotion to “Senior Pro” status was as quick as Maguire’s decline.

HARRY MAGUIRE

F *** ing HELL. That was bad. Really bad. As always bad. As if we long for Eric Dier. Maybe Harry’s next job could be in cyber? Booked early for pointless, reckless tackle. Injured trying to recover from an awkward first touch. Sent to recover from an even more awkward first touch. All of these things happened in completely harmless areas of the pitch and within the first 34 minutes. It becomes a problem. He’s never been a £ 75m defender, but he was damn good. Looks like a man in dire need of a vacation, but … ah, you are all in front of me – insert your own cruel joke here.

DECLAN TRAVEL

Great pass for Mount to create a first-half chance which Kane should have done a lot more with. He showed encouraging forward thrust before being forced into a firefighter role that might appeal to him better but did less to help move his cause more broadly.

KALVIN PHILLIPS

As with Rice, an encouraging progressive performance has been slowed down by the red card, although for a team in fourth place in the world picking both in a home game against Denmark isn’t exactly ideal. It was good to watch Dolberg’s run and deflect a shot off an Eriksen Tottenham corner on the Dane’s former home stadium – that sounds kind of weirdly inappropriate, doesn’t it? – and still did very little wrong in his young career in England.

HARRY KANE

Definitely the best Harry on the course, but now in his longest drought in England since the World Cup ended and rarely looked like he was going to end that before or after his namesake’s red card. All in all, hardly numbers on a list of worries for England, but it is telling that the more creative role he played in an English shirt for the first time has become his Tottenham role while suddenly having a touch for England looks lost and peripheral. Has now done very, very little in two international breaks on both sides of a wonderful club form.

MASON MOUNT

Excellent before the red card, but significantly less involved afterwards. As with so many others, it’s not really his fault. Forced a nice save by Schmeichel with a header from a corner and just looks comfortable at home and Law in international football.

MARCUS RASHFORD

MBE. Future prime minister. The second youngest English player reached 40 caps and threw Michael Owen into third place. He was busy so apologize on this rather quiet, subdued night.

TYRONE MINGS (continue for Maitland-Niles, 36)

Coady and Mings as a central-defensive duo didn’t really build trust. It was actually okay, and not just because Denmark made a very early and obvious decision to stick with what they had.

DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN (continue for Rashford, 73)

Nice moment to shoulder the ball back to Kane and win a free kick. Already a big winner of the week and nothing has changed tonight.

JADON SANCHO (on for Mount, 73)

It could arguably have been introduced 15 minutes earlier to try and shake up the game something happen, but then he did quite a bit of naff when he got involved, so maybe not.

JORDAN HENDERSON (continue for Rice, 76)

He used all his experience and experience to get booked only for the umpire’s back chat. Watch and learn, Sweary Reece. Watch and learn.

Dave Tickner