Major changes are not expected to be implemented by Hodgson after draw

The draw in Poland on Wednesday might have allowed England to keep their place at the head of Group H.

However, by the time November’s internationals are over, the Three Lions will have been shoved into second spot, with Montenegro almost certain to sweep aside San Marino while England play Sweden in a friendly. In a group that is going to be determined by results between the four most noteworthy teams, Montenegro’s win in Ukraine on Tuesday has laid down a marker to which England, with two points from their two tough games – the same number as Poland – must respond.

To that end, England’s performance in Warsaw was disappointing. Passes going astray, tackles missed, chances squandered. In the end, they were thankful to fly home with a point. It was not good and Hodgson accepted it. But England’s experienced coach views it very much as a one-off.

“We know there is work to be done,” he said. “I’m not prepared now, because we didn’t do quite so well against Poland, to suddenly start saying ‘we need radical improvements’.

“We need to keep working on our game and make sure we don’t lose some of these quite important qualities which saw us get out of the group in the Euros without playing brilliantly well and which have seen us take a good point (in Poland).

“It is going to be a tight group. Ideally we would be sitting here with 12 points but under the circumstances, eight is probably a fair reflection of what we have been able to do so far.”