Gareth Southgate refused to ‘hammer’ his England players despite his disappointment with their performance in the 2-0 win over Malta.
The victory - courtesy of an early own goal and Harry Kane’s second-half strike - guaranteed their place at the top of Group C, while pot one seeding for Euro 2024 is all but assured.
After a flat night at Wembley, Southgate said: ‘We didn’t hit the heights that we have done this calendar year. It was a game where we didn’t start well.
'If you don’t start well then it’s hard to pick your game up.