Bang Average.

1 - 0 versus Lithuania. Unconvincing, boring and abject is how I would describe this England version which booked its place at Russia 2018 this past weekend. 

We've seen it before albeit never with as weak a squad as right now. The golden generation offered hope and excitement at least. This breed offers nothing. Led by an unproven manager at both club and international level in Gareth Southgate and a squad consisting of one 'potential' world class player in Harry Kane, England will be lucky to get out of the group stage in Russia. 

I watched Wales vs. Republic of Ireland today and didn't see much a gulf in talent from the England squad I watched on Saturday. It's a fact that England might not even be the best team in the United Kingdom anymore. They don't possess a world class player such as Gareth Bale and they don't have the comraderie of the Republic or Northern Ireland. Yes, they're better than Scotland but that says as much as Floyd beating Connor. Listening to Alan Curbishley today was exactly what's wrong with English football. He states that Kane might not be in the Premier League for long, he'll be snapped up by Barcelona or Real Madrid if he keeps banging in 20 goals a season. Excuse me? Is Kane even close to being in the class of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi or Karim Benzema? Not a chance. 

Hope, expectation and self-entitlement is what has killed the English national team over the years. They aren't even close to being in the top ten nations in the world and only when this fact is understood and realistic expectation set will England begin to evolve from the doldrums of world football.

Let's hope for bang average in Russia because a Round of 16 birth will be an achievement.