Sorry England suffer Nations League relegation as troubles mount for beleaguered Gareth Southgate

For Southgate to be sacked but it's not going to happen. Interesting, though, that the consensus candidate to replace him is Thomas Tuchel. 

I understand the reaction at the end because [of] the results we've had in this competition. It is an understandable emotional reaction.

I personally think the performance was a step in the right direction but understand that's not going to be the reaction given the result. "The reaction will be guided by the result but we weren't far off with the performance tonight.

I have to keep the players on track and not being distracted.

There'll be a lot of noise but that will be around me and that is absolutely fine. It's my job to take that pressure for them."

Opta has four key indicators:

• 450 - Minutes since England last scored from open play (v Ivory Coast, Mar 2022), having not score in a competitive fixture other than a penalty or set-piece since beating San Marino in November 2021.
• 5 – England have gone five matches without a win for the first time since 2014, and have gone five competitive matches without winning for the first time since 1992.
• 3 - England have failed to score in their last three matches, their longest run without a goal since November 2000. 
• 0 - England are one of only two nations yet to score a single non-penalty goal in the 2022-23 Uefa Nations League. The other nation is San Marino.

As he went over to the England fans to applaud them.

We're not going to hear from him tonight – not before the press conference. Channel 4, which keeps bidding for sport and then treating it with contempt (remember when they used to cut off the cricket for Hollyoaks), is hurrying on to Gogglebox.  

We've slipped below our standards in the Nations League. Much better performance than in the summer. One chance, one goal, we controlled the game but lacked that cutting edge. It's not that we're not creating chances. In training there's goals for fun. It's coming. It's coming. Trust me, we're going to be good. 

Alessandro Del Piero confuses England player for Shaun Wright-Phillips

I don't know how he fixes this. Bellingham showed sparks of being the answer in the 8 role but Foden wasn't involved enough, Saka isn't the answer on the left and Rice looks less secure without Phillips. 

England's toils continue. Poor result but worse, it was a very troubling performance. No goal, few chances. Little rhythm and a left wing that doesn't function properly. 

Hungary's victory over Germany means England are relegated from Nations League A. 

Last chance? James finally angles in an outswinging cross from the right towards the penalty spot and Bellingham rises to head about a foot over. Donnarumnma wasn't sure of the trajectory and it hurried him into backpedalling. 

Gnonto sprints away from James who fouls him as he cut in from the wing. 

Grealish is booked for a spot of retaliation and will now miss Monday's match against Germany. 

England keep probing down the right, three passes forward, two back. They switch to the left and Rice shimmies into space, opens his body but sweeps his shot and Donnarumma throws his cap on to it. 

Up goes the sign to start six minutes of stoppage time – there'll be more now as a pitch invader in an Italy shirt causes a further delay. Gnonto embarks on a jinking run down the left and into the box but his left-foot angled shot is blocked out for a throw-in by Dier. 

Dimarco and Jorginho depart and on come Emerson and Frattesi. 

Di Lorenzo feeds the ball inside to Cristante, 20 yarsd out. Gnonto peels to the right to take Dier out of his way but he blazes his left-foot shot over the bar.

England look even worse with a back four.

England have now gone more than 550 minutes without a goal in open play and it looks nailed on to be a fifth successive game without a win. 

Pope makes a good save with his feet from Gabbiadini after England stood off again and let him carve a path down the inside left. Dimarco followed in with a cross/shot, having been given far too much space by the curiously passive James. It beats Pope and cannons into the inside of the right post and away. 

Grealish continues to be a magnet for snide fouls and crunching tackles, Cristante the latest wind-up merchant. Bellingham saunters down the inside-left, shimmies and thumps a shot from 20 yards over thebar. 

Italy defend the cross stoutly and send on Manolo Gabbiadini for Raspadori whose goal lit up a very drab game:

England free kick on the left after Di Lorenzo pushes Grealish in the face. He's booked and the ref comes back after initially playing advantage to give England a chance to cross. 

England's best spell – Foden links up with Grealish down the inside left and he rolls Shaw in down the outside. He pats the ball across the six-yard box and it's turned out to the edge of the area. Rice pounces, taps it off to Bellingham who lays it off to the right of the box for Kane. The captain smashes an angles shot that Donnarumma saves smartly straight back to him and then slaps away the attempt from the rebound. 

Donnarumma engages in a spot of showboating at the back, a Cruyff, or should that be an Adrian Alston turn. 

England have switched to 4-2-3-1 with Sterling in the middle behind Kane but there's no rhythm to their play, no confidence and the tempo is too lethargic. There's no snap to their passing or conviction in their movement on and off the ball. 

Double England substitution: Walker and Saka make way for Grealish and Shaw. England change to a four-man defence. 

Italy 1 England 0 (Raspadori)  Gnonto splits out to the right to create space for the Napoli forward down the inside left who stuns the pass up to him, takes a touch and then another as Walker stands off him before rasping a right-foot curler from 16 yards into the bottom right corner.

Clumsy fall and foul by Maguire after being rolled gives away a free kick on the right. Walker heads the threatening cross away witha  diving header and Pope saves Di Lorenzo's shot at the near post. 

Italy double substitution: Willy Gnonto and Tommaso Pobega replace Barella and Scamacca. 

From the corner Bellingham lands heavily when colliding in mid air with Barella who was late into the challenge. Bellingham got the ball and then went over the top of Barella. England think it was dangerous play. But the referee doesn't. 

Bellingham breaks past Cristante and is picked out by Foden's pass. The midfielder plays Kane in down the right and the captain spears over a threatening cross through the six-yard box and Toloi, who has a shiner from that clash with Kane, cleverly opens his body and deftly turns it past the left post with his left foot. Corner. 

Now Italy catch Foden in their offside trap when Bellingham drives forward to play him free down the left. 

Scamacca and Raspadori take turns in trying to bullock through the middle but can't get past Maguire and Dier. A minute later Bonucci fires a good pass up to Raspadori who spins and fizzes it out to Dimarco raiding into the box down the left. He zips a daisycuttter over towards the penalty spot and Scamacca slides in to hook his shot wide. England looked as if they had been thoroughly opened up by two passes but Dimarco had gone too soon and was a foot or so offside. 

England carry on with 10 men for a good two minutes, sweeping the ball across the pitch and back to Pope who sprays a long clearance out which allows Kane to come back on.

Kane is OK to continue but needs to stem the bleeding first and may have to change his shirt. The fourth official won't let him on until he has washed off the blood. 

Kane goes down when he goes up for a header from the corner. His mouth collides with the top of Toloi's head and it looks very painful.  He's bust his lip at the very least. 

England break again after the goalkick and Kane comes down the left, cuts into the box and Bonucci does well to show him down the outside and block the left-foot shot out for a corner. 

Nothing doing from the throw-in, Italy work the ball up to Dimarco who fizzes over a cross that just eludes Scamacca. Toe nails away. Back come England through Sterling and Bonucci brings him down in full flight. Yellow card, 20 yards out, to the left of the D. James to take ... and he lumps it over the bar. 

No changes. Italy kick off and shift the ball back to Donnarumma who is closed down by Kane and has to go short, putting his defence under pressure as England harry them into conceding a throw-in. 

Focuses on Saka's rustiness in the wing-back role and a desire for Foden to get on the ball more. 'Game needs a ball player ... and needs a goal,' says Joe Cole.  

Italy haven't been brilliant but they have been a touch more fluent in creating chances than England who need to find some rhythm, exert some control in midfield and encourage the wing-backs to get forward and whip over some crosses. 

Rice is penalised when going up to try to meet Foden's diagonal chip for reasons the replay doesn't enlighten us about. Didn't matter as he didn't win the header but a strange decision. 

It's bee a very scrappy performance from England who look low on confidence and suffering from the old international big match caution. 

Kane drops back to take the ball 50 yards from goal and storms off towards the box, dribbling 20 yards before putting his laces through a shot that swerves, dips but wobbles too high and wide. 

James has a golden opportunity to cross from the right and is urged to do so by Kane but again his radar and sense of adventure is not well calibrated tonight. Too timid. 

Sterling seems to have run off an earlier knock that left him limping. 

Chip up to Scamacca is headed away by Maguire, beating him in the aerial challenge. The ball falls to Crsitante 22 yards out and he unleashes a sidewinder half-volley that crashes straight into Dier with some force. Great block even if we can't be sure he knew too much about it. 

James puts it on a plate for Dier from the corner but the Spurs' centre-back cannot connect properly with his header having done the hard bit and lost his market with a crafty near post run. 

Foul on Sterling 15 yards inside the Italy half wide on the left. Foden chips it deep into the box where James meets it on the half-volley after some pinball and drags his shot wide of the left post via an unseen deflection off Toloi. England come back from the goal kick and Bellingham earns a corner on the right. 

England's forwards are finding the tight marking frustrating. As Graeme Le Saux, on co-comms, says, they need to find a way for Bellingham, Saka and James to join the attack to overload and take the initiative. 

Italy corner on the left, sent straight down Pope's throat by Dimarco. 

Dimarco sprays a long cross on the run from the left beyond the back post. Di Lorenzo makes the run to the byline to hook it back on the volley but Dier wellies it clear before Scamacca can pounce. 

Rice has found his feet and form with a couple of very good tackles and hub passes but a mistake in positioning by Saka, losing the ball upfield and failing to recover, leaves England naked down the Italy right, But Barella's's attempt to exploit it with a pass to Raspadori isn't good enough, far too heavy and he can't control it. England breathe again.  

Foden wins the ball and plays a cute pass into Bellingham who spins James in down the right and he whips over a cross. Sadly, it was behind Kane and Italy clear. Shame as James is usually so reliable with his crossing for Chelsea.  

England have settled down in the last 10 minutes or so and are finding the time and space to play, probing away and retreating when they can't find an incisive, forward pass. Tournament football. 

Neat triangle between Sterling, Saka and Kane down the left earns a free kick when Bonucci shoves Kane over. England try to work an opening to cross down the left but lose possession and need Rice to slide in to prevent a counter, winning the 40-60 duel and a throw-in. 

Bellingham is tripped by Cristante. Free kick just inside the England half. 

Foul on Barella gives Italy a free-kick, 22 yards out on the right. Dimarco pumps his cross into Kane who deflects it out for a corner. 

A push by Scamacca on Rice at the corner gives England a free-kick. 

Sterling wins the ball back in midfield, bursts forward down the inside-right but his pass to Kane, on entering the box, sends him wider than he would have wanted and his cross is blocked, looping up and taking the sting out of it. Acerbi outmuscles Foden to clear. 

First opportunity for England after a foul on Sterling. Nothing comes from the free-kick but Sterling gets hold of the scraps on the left and angles in a cross that Maguire leaps to meet. Bonucci gets ahead of him with nous and strength to put him off. 

Rice, who isn't in the best of nick, is struggling to get a grip in midfield and keeps getting bypassed by Barella who is lacing passes through to Raspadori and Scamacca. The two forwards have dropped off the centre-backs and are flourishing in the space between Rice and the defence. 

England defend that corner much better but nothing's sticking. Toloi wins the ball back and link up Raspadori and Scamacca to storm up the middle. Rice labours in pursuit of his Hammers' team-mate who lets England off the hook by scudding a shot wide from 25 yards rather than carrying on into the box. 

England are all over the place. Really poor. Misplaced pass from Walker concedes a needless corner from which Scamacca attacks a cross at the back post. Pope has to turn it on to the post and Maguire hacks it behind for another corner.  

Maguire catches Scamacca offside with a well-timed step up but the flag doesn't go up until Pope has made the save, low to his right, from Scamacca's rasping shot. 

Dier is in the middle of England's back three, Maguire on the left. Barella tries to free Dimarco down the left with a chipped diagonal after winning the ball back easily in midfield. Italy have gone man to man. 

England kick off, attacking from left to right. The pitch looks a beauty, pleasing to zip passes around, as England do in midfield until Foden, playing on the right, is clipped high by Cristante. England free-kick on halfway. 

Luca Vialli and Gareth Southgate embrace and there will now be a minute's tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II and the victims of floods in northern Italy. 

The camera is fixed on the soprano so we cannot see if anyone stumbles over the lyrical amendment in God Save the King.

Italy's is glorious.  

White shirts, navy shorts, white socks, with the Euro 96 sky blue flashes. 

Italy in azure shirts, shorts and socks. England will be wearing their new World Cup duds, you'd think. Presumably the away kit. 

Confirms he is playing at wing-back. Uefa's team sheet has him playing on the left side of the trident in a 4-2-3-1, perhaps gulled by his shirt number – 7. Reece James at right wing-back wears 3 which offends me. Sorry. I'm very old. 

We might not have a full house in the San Siro tonight. Italy haven’t qualified for the World Cup and there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of local appetite for this game. The empty seats will start to fill up before kick off but it will be a surprise if England play in front of anything approaching a full house in Milan.

I haven't watched C4's football coverage with the sound on before. Tonight they have Eni Aluko, Joe Cole and the marvellous Alessandro Del Piero as their pitchside pundits. 

They are discussing Harry Maguire after Gareth Southgate said in a pre-match interview, and I paraphrase, that there was a vendetta against the centre-half. Don't know if he meant in the media or from fans in general. If it's the latter, that would have to include Man Utd fans, too. I'm not sure he's got that right. Aluko says there is more pressure on him now than ever because he doesn't deserve his place ... at least not on form. 

By Matt Law at San Siro

As predicted by Telegraph Sport on Thursday evening, Gareth Southgate has stuck with Harry Maguire in a back three – which is likely to be an unpopular decision ahead of kick-off. Southgate's most interesting selection is that of Bukayo Saka at left wing-back, despite the fact he has Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw in his squad. That has allowed him to pick a front three of Phil Foden, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. Nick Pope gets the nod in goal ahead of Aaron Ramsdale, with Jordan Pickford out suspended.

Who will play on the left of the three centre-halves? Dier plays in the middle for Tottenham with Davies on the left. Maguire is right-footed but played most of his career at Old Trafford on the left of two centre-backs. Both Sterling and Foden do their best work on the left but I suspect they will be fairly fluid. 

Italy Meret, Vicario, Luiz Felipe, Pobega, Frattesi, Gnonto, Emerson, Zerbin, Grifo, Gabbiadini, Esposito, Bastoni.

England  Ramsdale, Henderson, Alexander-Arnold, Trippier, Shaw, Grealish, Coady, Ward-Prowse, Tomori, Mount, Bowen, Abraham.

 Pope; Walker, Maguire, Dier; James, Rice, Bellingham, Saka; Sterling, Kane, Foden.

So Bukayo Saka is playing as a wing-back. 

Gareth Southgate has reverted to a back-three for England's Nations League clash against Italy at San Siro, making six changes from their loss to Hungary in June.

Eric Dier returned for his first England cap since November 2020, lining up in defence alongside Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, who has not started the last four Premier League games.

Meanwhile, Newcastle's Nick Pope started in goal and there were starts for Declan Rice, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden. 

Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Acerbi, Toloi, Di Marco; Cristante, Jorginho; Raspadori, Barella; Scamacca. 

We could look at tonight's match at San Siro, England's first visit to Milan since 1939, in two ways. The most significant and obvious one is that it's their penultimate match before they open their World Cup campaign in Al Rayyan on 21 Nov and they need to find some form after those chastening two defeats and two draws in June, matches in which they scored only one goal (and that a penalty) while conceding six. 

The other way is that today and Monday's match against Germany gives them an opportunity to drag themselves off the bottom of Group 3. That may not seem all that important to the increasingly vocal critics of the Nations League but it will save them from a potentially trickier Euro 24 qualification draw and dropping down into League B for the third renewal of the Nations League and opponents that may struggle to draw the kind of sizeable Wembley crowds the FA needs to bridge the Covid grass-roots funding gap.

Last time out England were humiliated by Hungary at Molineux, the players seemingly jaded, muddled and typically vulnerable when sent out with a back four. All the reports suggest that Gareth Southgate will revert to tournament mode and play an extra central defender henceforth with Harry Maguire, despite his long decline at Manchester United, lining up alongside Eric Dier in the absence of the suspended John Stones, with Kyle Walker as the right-sided centre-half.  

There should be a start for Jude Bellingham alongside Declan Rice in midfield and another opportunity for Aaron Ramsdale in goal but that should be the extent of the experimentation unless Bukayo Saka is preferred to Kieran Trippier at left wing-back. Up front Southgate has tried a few things in the past 12 months but with time running short and Ivan Toney not in the matchday squad, the expectation is that he will go back to his default of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Phil Foden.

Italy, by contrast, are in full experimentation mode following their failure to qualify for Qatar. They're trying out the Brazil-born Luiz Felipe, who is eligible by virtue of his Vicenza-born great grandfather, at centre-back, Sassuolo's hard-running Davide Frattesi in midfield, SPAL's Salvatore Esposito, the Serie B Pirlo, and Leeds United's livewire diddyman forward Wilfried Gnonto all in the squad. Some or all may not start but there is a sense that Mancini, temperamentally disposed, like most Italian managers, to trust/favour his veterans, is wholeheartedly committed to rebuilding the European champions. 

The match kicks off at 7.45pm and team news should drop around 75 minutes before then.