WAS GARETH RIGHT TO MAKE THE CHANGES?

JAMIE REDKNAPP

IT WAS a brave move to rest so many — but did they even need a break? What struck me in England’s first two games was how sharp the players looked. You cannot start plotting routes. To win the World Cup you have to face the best sides at some stage, whether that’s Brazil in the quarter-finals or Spain in the semis. Gareth Southgate’s World Cup will now be judged on whether we beat Colombia.

MARTIN KEOWN

WHAT this tells us is that Belgium’s squad is slightly stronger. But we head into the knockout stages knowing that England still have a pretty decent starting XI. Spain are yet to get their act together and I do not see any other potential champions England have to face on this side of the draw. We must not underestimate Colombia — they will be difficult — but there may be a silver lining to this result.

CHRIS SUTTON

WHAT must Harry Kane be thinking? He has a great chance of winning the Golden Boot but was left on the bench. If we are looking forward to a semi-final on Wednesday week, then it’s a masterstroke. But England have won only six knockout matches since 1966 — and last night we lost to a team who didn’t want to win. This has heaped unnecessary pressure on the team for the Colombia game and Southgate has left himself open to criticism.