It was perhaps the defining game of the International season so far, at least for the hosts. With England a point clear at the top of their Nations League group, all they had to do was defeat Denmark at Wembley and they’d be in control of their own destiny, with Belgium winning as expected in Iceland. 

That didn’t happen, however, on a night of personal disappointment for one of England’s best defenders and another newbie, while a shot-shy squad who looked lacking. But why was this the case, and can England recover? There’s no-one better to ask than The Secret Coach. 

Last time we spoke to The Secret Coach, he was analysing Jurgen Klopp’s football lesson his Liverpool team learned at Aston Villa. This week, we were looking at International football, however, a very different beast but something The Secret Coach knows plenty about. TSC is a professional football coach in English football, who will remain anonymous. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in the game, going through the coaching process, and is currently part of the team at an English league side… and that’s all we’re telling you. He’ll be honest each week about what he sees as he sees it. As ever, The Secret Coach pulls no punches! 

Gareth Southgate had less players to choose from than usual, with injuries and ‘personal reasons’ robbing them of some of their most capable players. With England fielding a side without Jack Grealish, they looked to be slightly pessimistic, with the inclusion of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips both in the side.