France 1 England 1

So, England have played their first group match of Euro 2012, in Donetsk.

It seemed to me that the French team had the edge in terms of quality and creative options, so a 1-1 draw is not a bad result by any means. France had superior movement and overall fluidity and fluency, but England remained resolute and committed.

If England were probably second best in the technical proficiency stakes, their spirit and application were difficult to fault. Some cohesiveness was evident, and in his short tenure thus far Roy Hodgson seems to have instilled some semblance of togetherness and esprit de corps. The blend of personnel in the first-choice eleven is probably not yet ideal and fully realised, but the lack of time available to Hodgson for experimentation may preclude any major changes.

My impression, for what it is worth, is that England are seeking to base their effort in this tournament on a solid platform of honest endeavour and toil in defence and midfield, and hoping that pace, and occasional flashes of inspiration, up front, will see them through. To make this work, successfully, I feel that the all-round excellence and tenacity of Wayne Rooney is essential.  Improvisation will be necessary before the Manchester United player returns from suspension.

During today's match I was impressed with the attitude and diligence of captain Steven Gerrard, and Ashley Cole delivered his usual accomplished display. England really need these men, along with Rooney, to perform, because of the lack of genuine quality in depth in the squad, which has been exacerbated by injuries.

England were by no means outclassed by France, and this would indicate that neither Sweden nor Ukraine should hold any major fears. There is still everything to play for.