2. Walcott woeful, Dier poor, Henderson hampered
The seal has been broken, and Rooney sat sombrely behind Southgate instead of in his starting XI. It was up to the others to step up. Rooney has been nowhere near alone in underperforming for the national team; Walcott, again on the right flank here, was equally poor in Saturday's 2-0 defeat of Malta on Saturday.
Tuesday's game was another occasion to suggest Walcott is far too inconsistent to be relied upon. His most telling contribution came right at the start of the second half when he hoofed the ball clear from the edge of the area, and it was little surprise that he was replaced first, withdrawn for the far livelier Andros Townsend.
Henderson, meanwhile, has succeeded Steven Gerrard as Liverpool's leader and is in pole position to be Rooney's permanent replacement as England captain. Henderson had been Saturday's best performer, but Slovenia didn't grant him the room to play the same telling passes or surges in support of the attack. Initially, Henderson started from where he left off, with two crisp passes playing their part in two early chances for Sturridge, but Slovenia's tight defensive lines and a sincere lack of movement from England's attackers eventually cut down the supply lines.
Dier, Rooney's actual replacement in midfield, betrayed heavy nerves and more than a little thoughtlessness when playing the no-look pass to set up that first-half series of chances for Slovenia.
Dier collected a yellow card for a loose tackle from behind on Ilicic and thus risked dismissal from the 20th minute on, a severe test of credentials against highly energetic opponents. Whether Rooney would have lasted the pace was immaterial; this was Dier's and Henderson's chance to cement their future, and it was somewhat concerning that England's best, most fluid midfield moments usually arrived after John Stones stepped up from centre-back