Who do england play in next round?

0 -0 at halftime and it's all very slow with neither team looking particularly good. Maybe it's me but I just don't see what Declan Rice adds to this team. Three and a half matches into the tournamount and I've yet to see him get  overly involved in a game.

It was just a very professional performance again. The game was largely even but we deserved the win. Brilliant for Kane to get a goal and hopefully get his mojo back. Defence was superb, Rice was great in front of them... all bodes well!

The Muller miss felt like the Gascoigne miss from 1996 but in our favour this time. A huge moment but to win the tournaments you need quite a lot of luck as the matches can turn so quickly.

Ukraine won't be easy of course as it is the biggest match in their history AND we won't have the home advantage

BUT

They haven't looked anything other than a solid team, will be tired after last night and picked up a few injuries. They lost to Netherlands and Austria in the group stage and only edged past North Macedonia and Sweden when they have won. They were the lowest ranked 3rd placed team who sneaked through, so it's a draw we'd have all dreamt of before the tournament began.

Take nothing for granted, but the opportunity is there.

Have to say I looked at the line-up and thought the same - too defensive! Well hindsight proves the benefit of that line-up because Rice & Phillips were great at linking the movement forward and restricting Germany through the middle. Good team performance, one of those where you struggle to decide who best deserves MotM! I still feel my 'dark horses' of Italy will win but love England's progress!!

I actually think Rice has been outstanding. He is just so disciplined and assured. Him being there gives the attacking players confidence to do their thing knowing Rice will be in the right place to cover them.
It was no surprise to me that he was the first player subbed once Ukraine were put to the sword, to give him a rest and to avoid a booking as he is a key player.

I think we are talking about two different primary roles for Rice & Phillips stoatey and northwesthoop. Rice is the link with the defence and is (by nature) defensive-minded; whereas Phillips is more of a link with the attack. Having said that, Rice has shot at goal and I noticed that when Stones or Maguire surges forward with the ball Phillips drops back to cover. If you replace Phillips or Rice then you need a player that can do their role at least 75% as well I feel, whilst offering something extra with that other 25%. For me, that is not Jordan Henderson (more akin to Rice) and therefore I would only replace Phillips if we were losing or he was injured, and then Mount or Foden to come into the equation... 

It's important that there are differing views because we all see things from a different perspective. Like you I shall be watching him more closely tonight to see how he performs.