The first England match that didn't involve either Gareth Southgate or Harry Kane for the best part of a decade, there was a transitional feel to the alarmingly attacking Three Lions team that interim manager Lee Carsley fielded to face Greece in the Nations League on Thursday night. Unfortunately, his experiment couldn't have gone much worse.
A shock 2-1 home defeat to a country that has been in the international wilderness for some time, this was a reality check for Carsley and a concerning vision of life without England's record goal-scorer - even if the stand-in coach fumbled his tactics on the night.
It was abundantly clear that a disjointed side were not equipped to be without their injured captain, as they lacked a focal point in a 4-2-2-2 formation with two false nines. Kane has his critics, but defeat to the unfancied Greeks should serve as a timely and resounding reminder of just how important he is to his country. England should not be too hasty to cast him aside.