Cole Palmer fluffs chance as handicap needs putting out to pasture: Rating England players vs Finland

Cole Palmer was a must-start for these two games but he wasn’t great again, no thanks to the handicap behind him. Angel Gomes’ assist was brilliant. Not much else was.

DEAN HENDERSON

We remain very concerned about England goalkeepers and that has absolutely nothing to do with Henderson’s performance here. He did nothing wrong.

KYLE WALKER

Recalled to the squad having been left out of the first round of Nations League fixtures and Lee Carsley may well have been right the first time. He’s fine, but we know what he’s about and it’s not passing the ball into No.10s in tight spaces, which is England now.

Palmer suffered through Walker’s technical deficiencies on that side and with neither short passing ability nor crosses for Harry Kane in his armoury, Walker’s more of a hindrance than a help on the front foot, which has long been the case but worth it thanks to defensive excellence that now also appears to be on the wane with much of Finland’s threat coming down his side.

JOHN STONES

England were ropey at the back again and a centre-back with 81 caps and 13 major trophies for his club has to take his fair share of the blame. He’s started just one of Manchester City’s Premier League games this term and there was evidence again, despite having more protection in front of him, that he’s now very much a getatable part of the England defence having seemingly lost a yard in his head as well as his legs, perhaps through that lack of game time.

It looked as though he was marking space – presumably by design – for Finland’s goal, but it’s not a great look when he’s heading thin air two yards behind the goalscorer, who jogged past him to win the header.

MARC GUEHI

A few moments where he showed why he received so much adulation over the summer, outsmarting attacking players, but there were also a couple of examples of his poor decision-making on the few occasions when he was forced to make them. It was his attempt to win the ball on the halfway line that led to the glaring Finnish miss in the second half.

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD

Clearly a very square peg in a round hole as his deficiencies when defending at right-back were even more evident at left-back, falling asleep to lose markers for Finland’s two biggest chances, and he dived in a couple of times when switched to his more natural position to serve as a reminder that he’s always going to have defensive lapses no matter where he plays.

That’s absolutely fine when he whips a dipping free-kick into the top corner.

DECLAN RICE

Wasn’t anywhere near his best on the ball, but none of them were, and to his great credit he was literally the only starter who made any runs behind the defence and continually bust a gut to get in the box, reaping the reward with his last action of the game in the 84th minute, tapping in at the front post to ensure victory.

ANGEL GOMES

Brought in with a view to not give the ball away in midfield quite so much after the Greece defeat, Gomes attempted a pass through an impossible gap early on which led to the first chance of the game, but he got into his stride quickly after that and his excellent first touch and tight turning circle served him well for England’s opener; the pass with the outside of his right foot to leave the Finland defenders rooted as Grealish breezed past them was delightful.

The epitome of a Neat And Tidy Footballer, which is often used to damn with faint praise, but not in Gomes’ case.

READ MORE: England make hard work of making superior quality count against Finland

COLE PALMER

We’ll never sign up to the view that any player Has To Start as that’s a slippery slope that leads to a back four and six No.10s, but Palmer was the most Has To Start of any England player in these games on the back of his outstanding form for Chelsea. Him being named England Player of the Year by the fans despite having never made a competitive start tells you everything about the tide of public opinion.

A few nice touches and his delivery both from corners and open play created some problems for Finland, but we’re not sure there were any Wow Moments from Palmer when we’re used to seeing half a dozen every game for his club. Opportunity spurned.

JUDE BELLINGHAM

Probably a good idea to get England’s leading contender for the Ballon d’Or on the ball as much as possible in the areas in which he can do damage rather than just having him in the team as a Save The Day moments footballer, and it felt like he was very involved in the first half, keeping things simple in the main but also delivering one excellent ball over the top for Rice, about the only time any England player attempted to turn the Finland defence.

Really ran out of steam after the break though, with England moves falling down at his feet on at least three occasions.

JACK GREALISH

His goal was never in doubt because he passed it in and Jack Grealish doesn’t misplace passes. That though, if anything, will be the stick to beat him with. His critics will claim that he doesn’t misplace passes because the only passes he plays are across ten yards; almost always sideways and backwards.

It was all a bit safe from him coming from the left having been moved from the No.10 position he thrived in during the first international break, but Grealish has little hope of moving back into that role where England have superior options so needs either to convince everyone that his ability to retain possession and take the pressure off his teammates on the wing is worth his lack of direct threat to the opposition, or try to affect the game more when given the opportunity to run at the full-back.

HARRY KANE

A couple of moments of really good hold-up play, the likes of which we didn’t see at all at Euro 2024, but his impact is always going to be limited in this team with so many No.10s occupying the space he loves to drop into. Suffered through not having any left-footer on the left and only Walker’s right foot on the right, which doesn’t really count. It was ever thus.

NONI MADUEKE (for Palmer, 69)

Immediately got England up to the Finland penalty area for the first time in what felt like a long time with his first action and did it again two minutes later, storming past the left-back with pace we hadn’t yet seen in the game before nearly finding Olle Watkins with a cross. A direct breath of fresh air.

OLLIE WATKINS (for Kane, 69)

Probably shouldn’t have been beaten at the front post for Finland’s goal but he set Rice up brilliantly, dribbling down the left before making himself a yard with a step over and firing the ball across the face of goal. Provides a completely different – and in this case far more potent – threat to Kane with his powerful runs in behind the defence.

PHIL FODEN (for Bellingham, 80)

Probably can’t quite believe that he’s no longer in the England team and although ten minutes perhaps isn’t long enough to change minds he will maybe think he could have done more against what was by that point a very tired Finland defence.

RICO LEWIS (for Gomes, 80)

He’s a real scurrier and he scurried.

CONOR GALLAGHER (for Rice, 85)

Nice to see him back after what must have been a disappointing Euro 2024 on a personal level. A few decent touches and passes; snapped into a couple of tackles.