England vs. Ukraine: Player Ratings

England Player Ratings - 0-0 vs Ukraine

England's 0-0 draw away against Ukraine was a result that they will be happy with, given the fact it means their Brazil 2014 World Cup fate is now in their own hands. But the performance was nothing to be proud of.

England defended well and that is shown in the clean sheet. That comes due to a solid-looking partnership between Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill, which looks set to be ​the ​defensive choice in the coming year. However, England almost certainly would have been turned over against stronger opposition.

There was a collectively poor performance in terms of keeping the ball and going forward. Yes, England were missing almost all of their notable striking options, but the talent available should have done better in the final third.

However, there was some very poor individual performances. They nearly cost England on the night, which could have been fatal to their World Cup hopes. Those players need to be addressed and realize that next time, their game has to be upped.

England's passing was the main concern. It has improved over the past year, but again tonight it dropped to a low standard. I definitely feel Ukraine's pressure and aggressive style seemed to affect England's flow, but you would still expect better. There was too many errors and a lack of sharpness that will help lose matches.

In this sideshow, I look at each England player's performance and grade them from 1-10 on their night in Ukraine. Under each is a brief summary of their game. England can be happy to have overcome a hard task without failing, but there were some miserable and uninspiring moments that need to be ironed out.

Stowe Gregory is an English featured Soccer and Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him or tweet on Twitter @stowegregory.

Joe Hart - 6

The England no. 1 had very little to do in terms of shot-stopping, but he had a few nervy moments and close calls that once again showed evidence that he is not as secure as people claim.

Kyler Walker - 4

Walker is very young, and that is how his performance looked. He was very sloppy and came very close to costing England with his lack of concentration. Still lots to improve on.

Phil Jagielka - 7

Jagielka had a decent game alongside Gary Cahill in what is becoming a solid defensive partnership. He helped keep another clean sheet and you have to say that on the night, he was one of England's better players.

Gary Cahill - 8

The Chelsea defender again showed why he has started the last five England matches alongside Jagielka with some fine moments that helped England secure another clean sheet, despite some scary moments in which Cahill made vital interventions.

Ashley Cole - 6

He didn't really do much wrong but going forward, he is not the threat that we expected. However, the right side of Ukraine's team gave very little threat throughout due to Cole's work.

Theo Walcott - 7

Walcott had a very tough game. He had lots of work to do defensively given the fact that Walker had a poor game. He also had little space or time to show his attacking talents with the Ukraine team getting very tight and physical. However, he still put in a decent performance and looked bright.

Steven Gerrard - 7

It was a great game from Gerrard, but he played well. He came the closest to scoring for England and was the hub of the team. He also saved England from a few dangerous situations.

Frank Lampard - 6

On his 100th cap, he didn't have a great game. It wasn't bad, but his passing was a little sloppy while he also missed a chance to steal the win with a header late. You would have liked and expected him to be a little more influential.

Jack Wilshere - 7

Wilshere was battered, kicked and pushed all night long. But in the hour that he did play, he provided England with some creative hope when on the ball and if given a bit more protection from a poor referee, I think we might have seen him influence the game more.

James Milner - 4

I'm not very sure at all as to why Roy Hodgson is so keen on naming Milner in his lineups so often. He is extremely average and showed it again tonight. He works hard and can offer defense, but he is gave very little attacking threat given the fact he was playing on the wing, and it was a very uninspiring performance. His passing was sloppy too.

Rickie Lambert - 6

The Southampton striker had far less chances or time to show his strengths. However, he held the ball up well and worked hard. It was difficult for him in the second half but he seems to fit the mold well. He was decent.

Subs: Ashley Young - 4

In the half hour he played, he was very poor. He seemed to be deprived of fitness and confidence, so that may explain the few signs of the Young we all know can be great. He was out of touch and offered very little threat despite being brought on to offer just that.

Sub: Tom Cleverley (No rating)

Having played just two minutes in this game, his brief attacking link-up play raised the question of just why he wasn't included in the starting lineup. His passing would have helped an England team that struggled to keep a hold of the ball. His talents are very underrated and he was missed.