England v Ukraine: England match ratings


It was a tough night for Roy Hodgson's England side against Ukraine.
In a flat performance, Frank Lampard rescued a point for the Three Lions at Wembley which could be a pivotal result when the points tally is looked at next October.
Total Football's Simon Wright assesses how the starting 11 fared against Ukraine and it was a mixed bag of performances. 

Joe Hart

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart had very little to do against Moldova but he did have more to do in the Wembley opener.
He had no chance with the visitors' goal and at times, was helped by some crucial interceptions and careless finishing.
Nevertheless, he was as solid as ever. 7/10

Glen Johnson

Glen Johnson is the regular England right back but his position has come under scrutiny in recent times.
Going forward again, he was lively and offered some hope with his attacking strategy.
He had a better night defensively too, although he struggled with the fresher legs from the Ukraine substitutions in the closing stages. 
Another yellow card could be costly but all in all, a big improvement. 7/10 

Phil Jagielka

A tough night for Phil Jagielka who saw a lot of the ball but didn't do much with it.
He was sloppy in possession and should have been punished on more than one occasion. 
Grew into the game as it went on but I reckon this was a chance not taken for a regular place in the England starting 11. 5/10 

Joleon Lescott

Joleon Lescott is a consistent defender but he had a poor night by his standards.
Like Jagielka, saw a lot of the ball but when he had it, he often made the wrong choice.
At fault for the goal by giving away possession in the first place. This will be one evening that Lescott will want to forget. 5/10 

Leighton Baines

A decent display from the England left back understudy but his prescence in going forward was very limited.
Oleg Gusev gave him something to think about in defence but he made some crucial blocks and can probably count himself unfortunate to have been replaced for the last 17 minutes. 6/10 

Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard had a very poor evening.
He tracked back okay but the chemistry with Frank Lampard from Friday was evidently missing and he offered absolutely nothing in an attacking capacity.
Although not taking anything away from Konoplianka's fantastic strike, the Liverpool skipper gave him too much time to take his shot and got punished for his lack of pressing input.
He then picked up two needless yellow cards and should have no complaints about his dismissal in the closing stages.
As captain, he will need to do more in future games but shouldn't be missed with suspension for the next match as that is only against a hopeless San Marino side. 5/10

Frank Lampard

In comparison to Gerrard, Frank Lampard is arguably in the form of his life and he worked hard again, eventually getting his rewards.
He chased a lost cause all evening and although attacking influence wasn't quite there, it didn't stop him from trying.
Smashed home the late penalty to rescue a point for England, taking him level in the list of top England goalscorers with Bryan Robson.
A very good few days in the England setup for the Chelsea ace. 7/10 (STAR MAN)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

It is not always going to work out for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He was on the periphery of this match for the majority and was substituted in the second half.
Still produced some lively runs, especially in the first half but as the game wore on, he became more of a spectator.
Nevertheless, it might have not been his best night but still plenty to come in a burdening international career. 6/10 

Tom Cleverley

A tough night for Tom Cleverley who got his chance to impress the Wembley faithful but didn't grab it with both hands.
He was another player who was guilty of being lazy in possession and missed a glorious chance in the first half.
This was a reality check for the Manchester United midfielder. 5/10

James Milner

As usual, James Milner worked exceptionally hard.
He tracked back well and supported Johnson in defence.
On an attacking basis, he was largely non-existent. The usual solid if unspectacular performance from Milner. 6/10 

Jermain Defoe

Jermain Defoe started well and was very unfortunate to have a superb goal chalked off in the tenth minute for a foul that was dubious to say the least.
He kept the Ukraine defence busy all night but gave away a few too many free-kicks and was booked in the second half as his impact faded. 6/10

SUBSTITUTES

Danny Welbeck (replaced Tom Cleverley on 62 minutes)

The game was in danger of petering out until Danny Welbeck came on.
He was lively, creative and gave the opposition defence something else to worry about.
Hit the post when he should have scored but won the crucial penalty which Lampard ended up converting. 7/10 

Daniel Sturridge (replaced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on 70 minutes) 

Daniel Sturridge was a doubt going into this game because of illness.
He came on for Oxlade-Chamberlain but never made much of an impact. 5/10 

Ryan Bertrand (replaced Leighton Baines on 73 minutes) 

A surprise inclusion in the squad and a few eyebrows were raised when he came on for Leighton Baines.
He offered more going forward than Baines in an impressive 17 minute cameo show. 6/10
By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

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