Rating Saka and the rest as England end season in style with 7-0 drubbing of North Macedonia | OneFootball

Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford tore it up in their first start together for England, who gave North Macedonia a good old-fashioned spanking at Old Trafford.

JORDAN PICKFORD After 36 touches, none of which were taken in his six-yard box, and no saves in two internationals, Pickford will be cursing the lack of injury that prevented an extra couple of weeks on the beach.

KYLE WALKER His cross for Saka’s goal looked a bit scuffed at first glance and we’re still not entirely convinced he picked him out, but it’s an assist all the same. Barely broke a sweat in defence or attack.

JOHN STONES Won a penalty by diving into the box despite the foul quite clearly being committed outside it. Must have been desperate to be playing his Manchester City role instead of this silly centre-back nonsense.

HARRY MAGUIRE The passing radar was off a couple of times but this wasn’t the game to prove he merits a place in this England squad or otherwise. Any current or former English centre-back would have waltzed through this game.

LUKE SHAW Missed a tackle early on to leave space in behind him for a very rare North Macedonian foray into the England box but did nothing wrong apart from that. A great run and decent cross for Kane’s goal.

DECLAN RICE He kept Eljif Elmas – he of six goals and three assists in 36 games for Napoli in their Serie A-winning season – very quiet indeed and did everything required of a defensive midfielder against no attacking threat whatsoever. Didn’t make his typical lung-busting midfield runs as there was no requirement or opportunity to do so.

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD We’re simulataneously delighted by watching him spray balls around from midfield for England and at the thought of how angry Liverpool fans are going to be when Jude Bellingham comes back and he’s jettisoned to the bench.

Few players in world football could have played that pass for Saka, and actually, although most suggesting horses for courses selections would play Alexander-Arnold against low blocks and lesser teams, that sort of pass would be very useful against sides putting England under pressure in their own half.

JORDAN HENDERSON You could argue that any of Conor Gallagher, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze or James Maddison would have been better suited to the role Henderson took up as the furthest forward of England’s midfield three, and you may well win said argument. He also definitely wouldn’t be our first choice to be making third-man runs into the penalty area; in fact he may well be our last.

And yet, he did it really rather well, setting up Rashford for his goal as well as playing the key pinpoint pass to open up North Macedonia for England’s opener. There’s life in the old dog yet.

BUKAYO SAKA Square it, you greedy b*astard…

A first career hat-trick and you’ll do well to see a better one. The first touch for his opener was absurd, the finish was smashed, but not as smashed as his second, which was in the opposite top corner to his first, and the timing of the runs for all three were perfect.

Saka was relatively quiet compared to Rashford in the first half as the pair made their first England start together, but ended up stealing the show. Treble-winners Grealish and Foden may have to watch games from the bench for a while.

HARRY KANE Scored what looked like a simple chance to make it six in six for his country but plenty of former England strikers would have fluffed a bobbling ball on their weaker foot, before smashing in a penalty with Callum Wilson stripped and ready to replace him.

Not much space for him to drop deep and create but the one time he was given some he drilled a perfect pass into Saka for his hat-trick.

MARCUS RASHFORD He had at least the left wing-back and left centre-back on him at all times, and when they couldn’t handle him (which happened relatively frequently) another centre-back arrived to make it three on one.

That magnetism created the space for Shaw, who was found by Rashford with a delightful nutmeg pass before crossing for Kane to finish. He came off the wing more and more as the game wore on, played a part in the second and should have scored another on top of the tap-in he got.

The confidence of a 30-goal season and an imminent bumper contract is coursing through the guy.

SUBSTITUTES

JACK GREALISH (on for Rashford, 58) Decent cross for Kalvin Phillips’ goal but his decision-making left something to be desired once or twice.

CONOR GALLAGHER (on for Henderson, 58) Always keen to make runs into the box and perhaps should have done better on a couple of occasions in good positions.

PHIL FODEN (on for Saka, 58) One brilliant turn. One brilliant run. One brilliant player.

KALVIN PHILLIPS (on for Rice, 58) He couldn’t miss the chance he got and kept it simple besides.