When Was The Last Enjoyable England World Cup Qualifier?

England's deadly dull World Cup qualifying triumph against Andorra had a Groundhog Day consciousness for long-time followers of this peculiar bandwagon.

Routine win. Comfortable qualifying. And past this formality is often followed by disappointment erstwhile nan superior business starts astatine a awesome tournament.

I've been fortunate capable to person covered England for almost a 4th of a century.

While this is simply a immense privilege I bask immensely, games for illustration Saturday's do make make you bespeak connected World Cup qualifiers and inquire "when was nan past clip 1 was really good?"

OK, first of each immoderate discourse and stats.

England person only mislaid 4 World Cup qualifiers successful nan past 30 years.

They are presently unbeaten successful these matches since 2009.

To compare, successful Europe only Spain (one) and Germany (three) person mislaid less during that period.

Adding European Championships, since qualifying for Euro 2004 England person played 108 qualifiers, winning 84 and losing only six. They person scored 292 goals and conceded conscionable 51.

That is simply a points-per-game ratio of 2.5. In different words, if it was a Premier League play complete 38 games, that would output 95 points, capable to triumph nan title successful each but 3 seasons.

So you would deliberation location would beryllium tons of bully memories - but qualifiers seldom nutrient earthy excitement. They are usually nan intends to an end. In England's lawsuit an unfulfilled struggle to triumph nan World Cup which has eluded nan men's squad since 1966.

England's first world astatine Villa Park for 20 years, a 2-0 triumph connected Saturday, ended successful beforehand of thousands of quiet seats arsenic Andorra mounted a harm limitation workout successful nan look of inevitable defeat.

There are outliers, specified arsenic skipper David Beckham's sensational last-minute free-kick against Greece astatine Old Trafford successful October 2001 that gave England a 2-2 tie and sent them to nan pursuing summer's World Cup successful Japan.

And successful April 2003 erstwhile a stunning afloat debut from nan 17-year-old Wayne Rooney helped England hit Turkey 2-0 successful a Euro 2004 qualifier astatine nan Stadium of Light successful Sunderland.

One searing representation is nan ill-fated Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia astatine Wembley successful November 2007 erstwhile Steve McClaren's England, needing only a draw, mislaid 3-2 to a federation who had thing to play for having already qualified.

It was nan nighttime McClaren near retired goalkeeper Paul Robinson for Scott Carson, nan replacement fumbling Niko Kranjcar's early changeable to gift Croatia nan lead.

This writer, contributing to an early loop of BBC Sport's unrecorded matter commentaries, offered up these words erstwhile watching Carson lukewarm up successful a Wembley deluge earlier kick-off.

"As he [Carson] looks dubiously astatine nan punishment areas, he whitethorn conscionable beryllium reasoning these are nightmare conditions for immoderate keeper."

And so they were.

The Wembley downpour besides produced nan defining image of McClaren's clip arsenic England head arsenic he sheltered nether an umbrella, meaning he will everlastingly beryllium known successful that peculiar discourse arsenic nan 'Wally With The Brolly' - and nan explanation stuck via a nationalist newspaper headline.

On truthful galore different occasions, it has been a lawsuit of watching England sound disconnected inferior opposition, a segment observed pinch much regularity arsenic nan number of countries qualifying accrued to 32 successful 1998, past to 45 teams that will subordinate hosts Canada, Mexico and nan United States astatine adjacent summer's World Cup.

And nan stats are illuminating arsenic to why this possibly has not been arsenic entertaining arsenic it could be.

They show that, complete nan past 16 years, England's possession has accrued successful World Cup qualifiers.

But nan shots person not accrued successful turn, and nan mean separator of triumph this run is among nan lowest seen.

Is this a motion of really wide nan debased artifact - erstwhile teams beryllium heavy successful ample numbers successful a compact protect style - has go successful these matches, aliases of really shot has moved to being much possession based?

The truth is astir apt a spot of both, pinch England often moving to break done a packed defence, utilizing a diligent attack to find abstraction and opportunities.

Former England striker Wayne Rooney told his BBC Sounds podcast this week that these games were "horrible" to play successful and could consciousness "pointless".

"I deliberation it's precisely what you'd expect. Andorra travel to effort and upset," he said.

"England - a master capacity to triumph nan game: 2-0, nary problem.

"And it's conscionable nan games are poor. You don't bask it.

"So you want to spot England playing Italy aliases Spain, and until you do you really don't cognize wherever England are at."

As dull arsenic England qualifiers whitethorn be, it is Thomas Tuchel's occupation to scope tournaments and only McClaren has grounded to do so, for Euro 2008, since Graham Taylor's broadside missed retired connected nan 1994 World Cup successful nan United States.

This, however, has translated into 2 quarter-finals astatine Euro 2004 and nan 2006 World Cup successful Germany, nan past 16 astatine nan 2010 World Cup, nan quarter-finals astatine Euro 2012, retired astatine nan group shape astatine nan 2014 World Cup successful Brazil, losing to Iceland successful nan past 16 astatine Euro 2016, nan World Cup semi-final successful 2018 successful Russia, nan past 2 Euros finals and nan quarter-final astatine nan 2022 World Cup successful Qatar.

In different words, qualifying is nan easy bit.

Even England's fans grew saturated of Saturday's dull stroll past Andorra and location is surely a increasing consciousness that qualifiers are almost for illustration a contractual responsibility earlier nan existent worldly adjacent summer.

Those of america who person watched England for truthful agelong dream to beryllium astatine nan segment of sporting spectaculars, but nan truth is these games, particularly successful a group containing Albania, Andorra and Latvia, are mostly devoid of jeopardy.

This is why Tuesday's gathering pinch Serbia successful nan dispute surroundings of Belgrade tin really beryllium viewed arsenic a existent measurement of England's advancement nether Tuchel.