England had the points on the board, they had the star quality and the theory was that they would drive home their favouritism, making a statement en route to the last 16 of this European Championship. So much for theories. Instead, it turned into a night of frustration, when the flaws in Gareth Southgate’s attacking gameplan were etched across Wembley and Scotland revelled in showing their old rivals that it is a perilous business to write them off.
On an occasion that will live long in the memories of the few thousand visiting fans in attendance, who included Sir Alex Ferguson, their team defied England, holding them at arm’s length with a performance of spirit and no little quality. From an England point of view, it was disconcerting to witness the relative ease with which they did so.