England Under-19s' fundamentals are there but Rotherham defeat shows they still have lessons to learn

For 50 minutes, the next generation of England footballers nudged the ball pleasantly around a Rotherham United pitch which, luckily, had recovered from its drowning seven days earlier.

Full-backs pushed on, wingers came off their lines, midfielder rotated. When a passing cycle ran out of steam, they recycled. This is what youth football is all about in 2023.

If it had been a possession drill on a training ground, the coaches would have been purring.

But it was not. It was a football match, an international under-19 elite qualifying tie for this summer's European Championship.

Pretty though it was, the harmlessness was an affront to the New York Stadium, where direct is not a dirty word and physicality is not frowned upon.

Despite that, the crowd remained supportive. It looked like another day when Rotherham showed it can step up to international level, moving on from last week's Championship abandonment when the pitch was flash-flooded.

England's players have work to do but we should not be too harsh on them. Under-19s football is about learning, not finished products.

For years, England's undoing at major tournaments was an inability to keep the ball. Getting it into the mixer and crossing your fingers that ricochets bounce your way is no formula for success at the top of global football where Simon Rusk's players should aspire to one day be.

Neither is tippy-tapping ineffectively, as Spain and Germany dismally demonstrated in Qatar.

But Saturday's 1-0 defeat means that without Hungarian favours on Tuesday, the European champions will be unable to defend their title in Malta. Summer tournaments are the PhD courses of a young footballer's education and England do not want to bunk off.

Having surrendered top spot in the group, the Young Lions take on Turkey at Chesterfield in Tuesday's final round a point behind Iceland, who face Hungary at St George's Park. Only the group winners will play in the tournament proper.

"We want to compete in the finals in the summer so it's (striking) that balance of learning but learning quickly, that's what these players have got to do," said Rusk.

Iceland were unafraid to play long, and have a prolific striker in Orri Oskarsson. That certainly helps.

The silky skills needed a purpose. At 0-0, it was nowhere to be seen and with England's captain, Leeds United midfielder Darko Gyabi, suspended, no one on the field seemed too perturbed about that.

Once Oskarsson converted his penalty, Kobbie Mainoo began dribbling at defenders from deep central midfield positions and Amario Cozier-Duberry got crosses in from the left. England began making, if not converting, chances.

But after 20 minutes it seemed to blow itself out, and when Leeds striker Sonny Perkins came on as a substitute, the game was played around him, unable to play his way into the conversation.

England should have taken the hint long before Oskarsson sent James Beadle the wrong way from 12 yards.

Beadle made an excellent low save to deny Oskarsson from left-back Arnar Numi Gislason's first-half cross then saw Ajax’s Kristian Hlynsson hit a free-kick into the wall and Sigurbergur Aki Jordunsson's header deflect wide before rushing off his line to deny Hlynsson.

After that early four-minute burst, England regained control, at one point comfortable leaving Doncaster Rovers loanee Ben Nelson – who went off shortly after with a calf injury – to man the fort whilst the other 19 outfielders squeezed into the last third. But England lacked the precision to slice through the massed ranks.

Oskarsson made them pay when Hlynsson was bundled over after 50 minutes.

Only then did England up their game, Divin Mubama forcing a couple of saves, the second from an accomplished half-volley when Cozier-Duberry crossed just behind him. Mainoo had an effort charged down.

But Iceland were still dangerous, Beadle denying Eggert Aron Gudmundsson when they picked their way through.

A slight tweak in coaching emphasis is needed to help the conversion from youth to senior football.

The good news is St George's Park continues to churn out players adept with a ball at their feet, the most important ingredient at international level. But to get more feet high up the league ladder, it is clear what needs to be added. For 20 minutes, Rotherham saw they had it in them.

England: Beadle; G Hall, L Hall, Nelson (Walters 33), Chambers; Wharton, Mainoo, Phillips; Forson (Cleary 71), Mubama (Perkins 71), Cozier-Duberry (Webster 78). Unused substitutes: Whitworth, Dickson, Jonas, Sturge.

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