No slaughter but the gulf still massive

NOT quite lambs to the slaughter after all, then.

But let’s not kid ourselves that England are on the same level as world champions Germany.

Joachim Low’s team qualified for next year’s World Cup finals with so much in hand it was embarrassing, winning 10 out of 10 qualifiers and scoring 43 goals – more than double the haul of nearest challengers Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic. Goals conceded? Four.

They may not have illuminated Wembley the way we expected. Indeed England strikers Jamie Vardy and Tammy Abraham worked keeper Marc ter Stegen in either half. But this was pretty much a training day for the champions of the world. This was merely another run-out to enable Low to get a better idea of his starting XI next summer.

Low had been particularly keen to get a look at rising star Marcel Halstenberg (above), the 26-year-old Leipzig defender who is already in the notebook of quite a few Premier League scouts. The likes of Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller, insisted Low, are already part of his “fixed axis”. They are among his Untouchables. Ultimately he wants to have two players for every position. If he succeeds then the German spell of world domination may not be over any time soon.

High-calibre friendlies against the likes of Spain and Brazil are also planned. Low will field some of the heavier hitters in those contests as he brings his squad to the boil.

He has the kind of problem every top coach would love – star quality throughout his squad. An embarrassment of riches. It’s Germany’s blueprint that Gareth Southgate and England are following with their move to plunge youngsters into the big time. It didn’t do the Germans any harm, did it?

Maybe we might feel the benefits too.