England made it three wins from three in Group E courtesy of Wayne Rooney's free-kick. Daniel Storey gives his verdict on the performance as we also offer you the chance to rate the players...
Monday 13 October 2014 09:03, UK
It was a good night for Jack Wilshere at the heart of England's midfield but there were plenty of question marks elsewhere in a stodgy affair in Tallinn.
Roy Hodgson's men made hard work of seeing off 10-man Estonia following Ragnar Klavan's red card with only a Wayne Rooney free-kick separating the sides.
Is Calum Chambers really the answer at right-back? Does this team need more of a goal threat from midfield?
Here we rate the players and give you the chance to provide your own verdict on England's efforts...
Joe Hart
Hart's goal was threatened twice in the opening few minutes, but thereafter it was another evening to stand in his area and dream about a possible new four-year contract. Named supporters' official Man of the Match again for the jokes...
Calum Chambers
Not an enjoyable night, suffering from sloppy first touch and unwillingness to venture forward. Lost the ball 26 times (more than any other player on the pitch). Difficult to point any serious blame at Chambers himself, but it was easy to wonder why Nathaniel Clyne was in the squad if he wasn't going to get the chance to start against one of European football's lesser lights?
Phil Jagielka
Calm and assured throughout, and prepared to slide in to win the ball whenever things looked even slightly hairy. Jagielka also completed 80 of his 85 passes, which at least showed his refusal to knock the ball long. Good stuff.
Gary Cahill
Dealt comfortably with what little threat Estonia possessed during a night on which the two central defenders acted more as supply to midfield than defenders. Cahill and Jagielka made 160 passes between them, 27% of England's total from that pair alone. Tougher tests await in November.
Leighton Baines
Baines has been brilliant for Everton in recent seasons, but little about him for England convinces that he will improve England. Given the narrow look of the midfield and Chambers' naturally defensive mindset, the intention was surely that Baines would maraud down the left flank, but appeared hamstrung. Baines did create one chance for Wayne Rooney (an air shot resulted), but he will turn 30 in December. Could Luke Shaw and Kieran Gibbs be the better options now?
Fabian Delph
Lost the ball in the first minute to present Estonia with a chance, but otherwise performed well in bringing the ball from deep and running at the opposition midfield. One such drive ended in the foul that saw Ragnar Klavan sent off. Nothing in Delph's 60 minutes markedly raised the pulse, but then little in the entire 90 minutes from anyone did that.
Jordan Henderson
Average. After a fine run of form for Liverpool, appeared subdued. Saw plenty of the ball, but aside from a first-half shot from range and a foul after which Henderson inexplicably (and vociferously) claimed simulation there was little to report. Was rightly booked for the challenge.
Jack Wilshere
England's best player. There are times when Wilshere's demand to do everything is frustrating, and others when that is appreciated - this was an example of the latter. Attempted comfortably more passes in the opposition half than any other player despite acting as the holding player in the diamond. As if to summarise his performance, Wilshere won back the ball more than any of his team-mates and also created more chances than any other player - he ran the show.
Adam Lallana
An odd one. Lallana was aiming to impress on a rare chance to start at the top of the diamond, dribbling with ball at feet and looking to make a nuisance of himself around the Estonian penalty area. But yet 90 minutes against a weak opponent returned four shots (none on target) and not a single chance created. Remains the go-to guy when Raheem Sterling feels that he needs a rest, but not before.
Danny Welbeck
Given Rooney's role at club level and Welbeck's recent form, there was an expectation that Welbeck would play on the shoulder of the last defender, but instead he dropped deep. It was Rooney himself that stayed high up the field. Doing that makes Welbeck look less convincing, a busy but uninspiring forward. Not much more to say, other than that our prayers are with Arsenal fans: Welbeck headed straight down the tunnel when substituted.
Wayne Rooney
There is little doubting the class of Rooney's winning goal, a free-kick curled up and over the wall. That said, the major concerns over the forward's decline revolve around his performance in open play, and it wasn't particularly good. Rooney's evening was littered with examples of clay feet and shoddy first touches. He had one first-half volley that fizzed over the bar, but from then on this was another flat performance from England's new captain. These are the matches in which his class should look so obvious. It didn't.
Subs
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Delph, 61
In a game screaming out in pain for some width and pace, Oxlade Chamberlain was chosen as the initial option, and only Wilshere created more chances. Should have scored with a header, which dribbled off his head.
Raheem Sterling for Henderson, 65
It's okay for a 19-year-old to be tired after being nominally chosen as the Next Big Thing for club and country. So let's forget the soap opera of club v country battles. Looked bright when he came on.
Rickie Lambert for Welbeck, 80
Served his purpose as the touchline encouragement for Rooney to do something positive. Job done even before he'd walked on.
Click here to give your verdict on England's players against Estonia
