So now we know what Thomas Tuchel was planning if – perish the thought – he does not have Harry Kane at the World Cup.
And it did not look good. Not good at all. He can scrap this one and go back to the drawing board, with a little prayer his captain, absent here with a minor injury, stays fit. Otherwise England can forget it.
There was very, very little to like (with the honourable exception of Elliot Anderson) on what was England’s final game before the head coach picks his 26 for the World Cup. Against the Blue Samurai of Japan England were put to the sword. The scoreline hugely flattered them. The sending off? A booing.
And Plan C? England were reduced to sticking on Harry Maguire and Dan Burn and trying to score from corners. Lump it in the mixer for the big guys. How depressing.
Before that, and a bit like Lee Carsley during his time as interim head coach, against Greece in the Nations League, Tuchel mitigated against Kane’s absence by shoehorning in all the ‘fun’ players. Fun? No, it was foolish.
We have to do it as a team”, Tuchel said, when discussing how it would be without Kane as he lauded how much he liked England’s creative players even if he stated they needed to do more. Well, then, it was a collective failing as his front four of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and – less so – Morgan Rogers flunked it.
When it is a better night for those who did not play than those who did then it is always a problem. So Kane, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and, also, undoubtedly, Jude Bellingham all became even more precious to England’s cause.
As a footnote England have played three nations in the top 20 under Tuchel – Senegal, Uruguay and Japan – and not beaten any of them. Okay, they were all friendlies so we should not get too hung up about that and it would be hypocritical to do so having urged Tuchel to look at his options. But, still, they have been three poor performances. And poor options.