World Cup 2018: 3 weaknesses exposed during England's win over Tunisia

If you are heading to the nearest tattoo parlour to get 'It's coming home' etched on your skin forever, you might have to hold on to that thought. England might have won Tunisia in their World Cup 2018 clash, but there were more questions left hanging than answers.

It took a stoppage-time header from Captain (and surely about to be knighted) Harry Kane to win the three points for England, and they would have definitely liked to have wrapped things up earlier. Considering how clinical Belgium were in the other match, it does not bode well for England's future.

There were a few weaknesses that looked blatant, some more vulnerable than others, as England scrambled to their win. Here is a look at three of them:

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#1 Lack of creativity from the midfield

The lack of creative midfielders was, is, and will be England's biggest concern in this WC

It was the first thing that everyone was shouting when Gareth Southgate announced the squad for Russia - who is going to be the playmaker?

With no Wilshere or Shelvey in the ranks, many predicted that England would suffer from a lack of creativity. Turns out they were right all along.

Now, this isn't to mean that Sterling, Alli and Lingard are not creative. But they are not out-and-out playmakers who can change a game from the back.

For example, France has Pogba while Germany has Kroos and Spain has Iniesta. Argentina has Messi while Brazil has Coutinho. England's creative midfielder in this match turned out to be Young.

Also, the players in the squad seem to be all of the same mold. They - Alli, Sterling, Lingard, Rashford - are all good at running at defenses, trying to cut in and draw a penalty if possible.

Only Loftus-Cheek is a different, more physical sort of player and unsurprisingly he was the most promising attacker in the match for England despite playing only the last quarter of an hour.

The solution then? Southgate cannot bring in a new player now, and he has to live with his decisions.

Against teams like Belgium, this is what is going to hurt England. This looks like a problem that has no solution in theory, and is up to the players to make stuff happen in the moment.

#2 The inefficiency of the 3-5-2

Kyle Walker is criminally wasted at centre back

Southgate has somehow gotten it into his head that a three man back-line is the best option to play, and frankly it isn't working. I personally blame Conte for bringing the system back in style. Maybe it was a long con by Italy?

Why the 3-5-2 doesn't work is because most times it takes the best players and ensures that they are slotted in positions that are the worst fit for them. Kyle Walker is notorious for bombing down that right wing and sending crosses flying in, but here is stuck playing as the centre back and is completely wasted.

Sterling is at his best when he is allowed to freely roam down the left flank and cut his way into defenses. But here, he is being made to play as the number 10 behind Kane, dulling everything he is known for.

Dele Alli rose to fame for being the number 10 at Spurs, and instead he is stuck playing as part of a triumvirate of central midfielders.

The solution is to shift to a more conventional 4-4-2 that fits England, playing Vardy and Kane up front, with Sterling and Loftus-Cheek on the wings and letting Alli play as the 10.

It might look a little too unstable and attacking, but if England stick with what they currently have, the only thing coming home is a disappointed team.

#3 Lack of a proper left back

Playing at left back, Young does not project a healthy confidence

Maybe because Southgate was confident that his 3-5-2 will never have to change, England's squad contained only one recognised left back - Danny Rose.

Fabian Delph might play that role too, but other than that the only option was the aging Ashley young, who is more of a winger or a wing back than a full back.

In this particular game, Southgate chose to go with Ashley Young who committed more fouls than he put in tackles.

Danny Rose despite not seeing a lot of playing time at Spurs could have been more useful to the team because of his danger from crosses, or even Fabian Delph for the solidity he offers as a defender.

Young is stuck with neither, as he was often on the end of balls that were not for him, or was not on the end of balls explicitly given for him. Thanks to Maguire, England resorted to do the long ball to Trippier, but otherwise it just ended up as a waste of time and passes.

This victory in no way means that England can sit back and relax. On the contrary, it leaves them with more to do and much to ponder. Belgium will show no mercy. The Belgians are faster than Tunisia in every facet of the game, and complacency will not go unpunished against them.

Qualifying in first place might be the difference between facing Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Portugal before the finals, or avoiding them all until then and taking the easier path to the finals.