Ignore the debates about who will start up front for England and whether or not Wayne Rooney is deserving of a starting place against Italy.
Yes, Daniel Sturridge may well have earned the position as lead striker as Twitter expert, and former footballer, Gary Lineker said that there are more deep rooted issues that need addressing.
England manager Roy Hodgson has to find a solution in midfield where he needs to find a partner for Steven Gerrard, who seems to be Hodgson’s first name on the team sheet no matter the opposition.
Against Peru the veteran was deployed alongside club teammate Jordan Henderson, but despite playing together all season they looked uncomfortable together at Wembley.
This may be in part down to the 4-2-3-1 formation that Hodgson is intent on playing when the Liverpool pair have played in a different system under Brendan Rodgers.
If this is the case, then you would hope that as the opening match nears the duo settle more into the way that Hodgson wants to play.
But if the personnel are kept the same this does not address the concerns over the lack of protection that was afforded to the back four during the Peru game.
While Gerrard has evolved into a disciplined holding player, using his vast experience to know when to sit back and when to push on, Henderson displayed a little too much adventure.
Jack Wilshere is an alternative to Henderson but the Arsenal man has played less than 45 minutes since he broke his foot back in March.
He has shown a glimpse of talent during his international appearances but thanks to his tendency to pick up injuries he has been unable to further his claims for a starting position.
If there are concerns about Rooney being rusty then Wilshere’s lack of game time hardly sends the message of him being a match ready replacement.
The former Sunderland player does seem the best option to take up the spare deep-lying position if only for his familiarity with Gerrard that you would hope can overcome the initial teething problems of being thrown into a different formation.
Unfortunately for Hodgson questions about his side do not end there.
The back four he selected against Peru showed signs of frailty especially down the right hand flank where Glen Johnson was exposed too often.
Joe Hart did nothing to harm his claims of starting against Italy as he kept England in the game with a number of key saves.
Leighton Baines looked comfortable and turned provider for his defensive colleagues’ goals from his corners.
Phil Jagielka looked slightly unfit and shaky on occasions but the nub of the problem is Johnson.
At Liverpool he is part of the free-flowing attacking football bombing down the right wing but he was caught out on several occasions which should set warning lights off for Hodgson.
While Johnson may be another threat in attack that causes the opposition a headache, he can’t neglect his defensive duties or else the opposition will exploit it.
Hodgson does not really have any other options to the Liverpool player as he is the only right back in the squad.
The former Fulham manager could try to slot in Chris Smalling or Phil Jones instead but neither offer Johnson’s attacking capabilities.
It’s no secret that Johnson has the weakness in his game and at some point Hodgson will have to make the choice between a more conservative game plan, without the one-time Portsmouth man, or adapt his game plan to manage the hole left by Johnson as he darts forward.
There are then enough questions for Hodgson to be finding answers for and plenty of work to be done in training with just over ten days before England’s opening game in the World Cup against Italy.
While the debates about Rooney and co may steal all the headlines, the focus within the England camp has to start at the back before addressing issues any further up the pitch.
Main image courtesy of England Football Official via YouTube, with thanks.
