Boring, boring England are stinking out Euro 2024! Winners and losers as Gareth Southgate's soulless Three Lions produce more dross - but Cole Palmer proves why he has to start in the knockouts

There was some surprise that Phil Foden kept his place in the team after poor displays in the first two games that compounded England's problems down the left-hand side. But there's a reason why the Manchester City midfielder scooped all the individual prizes in the Premier League last season, and Foden saved his best display so far in Germany for the last group game.

He dovetailed effectively with Kieran Trippier and was England's best player until Palmer came off the bench. He was crafty and inventive, and the only mistakes he made were when he strayed offside twice, meaning the goal he had set up for Bukayo Saka was ruled out.

Foden was let down by his fellow attackers, who looked groggy and short on ideas. But if he can show the same spark in the knockout phase and get a little more joy with his shooting, England can still have a good tournament.

Has anyone seen the man who dominated Serbia? The same one who had the best-ever debut season Real Madrid has ever seen? Bellingham was missing in action here, barely able to influence the play at all.

He looked rusty and tired, playing under-cooked passes while making no memorable attacking moves. Bellingham looked determined to make this tournament his own from the off, but since his all-action performance in Gelsenkirchen, he has gone off the boil, to put it mildly.

Perhaps it was inevitable his exertions all season and his statement display against Serbia would catch up with him, but Southgate needs to find a way to get his Ballon d'Or challenger ticking again.

With an estimated 20,000 Slovenia fans attending the tournament, around one percent of the country's population were in Germany for the occasion. And no one who made the journey will be regretting it as they were able to witness their nation make history and reach the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time, at their fourth attempt.

Slovenia fully deserve their place in the last 16 too, having struck late to peg back Denmark in their opening game, before being denied a famous victory against Serbia by a 95th-minute equaliser and then holding their own against England.

Matjaz Kek, who took Slovenia to the 2010 World Cup and agonisingly failed to reach the knockout stage then after losing to England, got his tactics spot-on, fielding a no nonsense 4-4-2 and ensuring their gilded opponents never created a clear-cut chance.

Before the tournament Kek told World Soccer: "We need to be pragmatic, but above all confident, courageous and decisive." His side embodied all four qualities perfectly, and now they have a date with destiny to come.

Many observers would have agreed that the Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment was not working. But drafting in Conor Gallagher was an even worse idea. The Chelsea midfielder made just 20 passes during the game, fewer than Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak, and it was a miracle he did not give the ball away on more than three occasions.

Gallagher had no understanding with Declan Rice and he made England look ragged when they were in possession. He lacked composure and never looked capable of passing through Slovenia's two banks of four.

At least Southgate had the humility to own up to his mistake and he hauled Gallagher off after 45 minutes for Kobbie Mainoo, the player who should have started the game all along.

At last Palmer got to make his first appearance at a major tournament. And in just 19 minutes on the pitch, the Chelsea star showed what England had been missing. Palmer played with a sense of urgency and a sense of daring, looking to probe Slovenia every time he got on the ball.

He left the pitch with a 100 percent passing accuracy and with England's best attempt on goal, forcing a low save from Jan Oblak in stoppage-time. He will be disappointed not to have scored, but his cameo should ensure he is involved again in the next round, ideally from the start.

The pundits on ITV's coverage in the UK were thoroughly impressed with the Mancunian's efforts. “Every time he gets the ball he’s trying to take opponents out of the game,” said Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou. “His first thought is: How can I eliminate one of the opposition or a whole line of them?” Roy Keane was also smitten, remarking: “I’m hard to impress and every time he got the ball I thought something was going to happen.”

Whenever he decides to leave his role with England, a future in crisis communications surely awaits Southgate, who is highly skilled at putting on a brave face amid a shambles. The manager had presided over a third consecutive drab display in Germany, but was deft at pointing out the positives.

"I thought we were much improved with the ball. We created some good openings," he insisted. "The boys who came on had a really good impact on the game, and we had the discipline to keep a clean sheet, which meant we won the group. I understand some of the reactions, but it’s a strange environment we’re playing in."

Southgate might call it "a strange environment", but others would call it a very straightforward group which they turned into a real trial, only finishing top because Denmark were even more turgid. The manager was asking for trouble by making just one change from the two previous games and expecting a better performance, but his side again looked devoid of creativity.

Somehow, however, England are exactly where they want to be, top of the group and facing a third-placed team next, potentially the Netherlands. France's failure to top their group, meanwhile, means the draw is beginning to take on a lopsided feel, with the Three Lions on the lighter end. The manager, though, was at pains to point out that the draw was "irrelevant", insisting: "We have to play well, whoever we play."

And that is England's biggest issue, one that cannot give them much confidence heading into the knockout phase. Why are they so incapable of creating good scoring chances? It is up to Southgate to find out, because the luck that has followed them so far in Germany will surely run out if they do not improve.