Wednesday 20 June 2018 13:06, UK
England kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Tunisia on Monday, but should Gareth Southgate be worried about his side's defence?
The England manager has opted to go with three at the back at Russia 2018, with Man City's John Stones flanked by club-mate Kyle Walker and Leicester City's Harry Maguire in their opening Group G game.
Despite Walker conceding a soft penalty against Tunisia, England's back line have been hard to breach in recent games, although The Mirror's chief sports writer Andy Dunn is not convinced by what he has seen.
"I thought they were winging it, I really did," Dunn told the World Cup Supplement podcast.
I think they are learning as they go along
"England's defence is amazing really. If you look at the record, the team has now conceded three goals in the last nine games, including friendlies.
"And yet I still look at those three, and the system Gareth is playing, and I honestly think they are learning as they go along.
"In the cold light of day, you have a player like Kyle Walker, who by his own admission is not comfortable playing in the right of a three.
"John Stones has had a tough second half to the season with Man City confidence-wise. And Harry Maguire, who is very much an international rookie.
"And I thought they did OK on [Monday] night, but positional wise, how many times was Maguire caught out? I thought he was all over the place at one point.
"I know he has a happy knack of attracting the ball in both penalty areas. Stones was alright, I was still just so uneasy, and I just thought that a team with a greater attacking intent than Tunisia will cause them problems.
"It sounds a strange thing to say, but I am worried defensively about this system, I'm worried by those three centre-halves, I'm worried about Stones as the central figure of that three, he needs to be the leader of the other two, I'm worried that he does not value Gary Cahill's experience.
"However, this England team are not conceding goals and the only goal they conceded on Monday was a dubious one. But going forward against better opposition, it concerns me."
For more analysis listen to World Cup Supplement podcast
