Match report: Germany 1 England 2 | Capello's 24-carat gold reserves | How England rated | Debate: what is England's best XI now? | Agbonlahor merits inclusion in long-term plans | Rise and rise of Captain Responsible | Wenger eyes Walcott compensation | Giles Smith: was it meaningful enough to put I'm a Celebrity on hold for a night?

The venue of the 2006 World Cup final had seemed as good a place as any to examine England’s chances of reaching the next one at Soccer City in Johannesburg in 2010, but the absence of eight regulars rendered any accurate assessment impossible. Instead the question facing Fabio Capello was a more basic one: which of the second string could he trust to take on the plane to South Africa in two years’ time?

For all the furore about this fixture’s utter pointlessness — most of it coming from those without a stake in it — Capello had learnt a great deal about the nature of his challenge before kick-off. Above all, the fact that no one is paid £6 million a year to do a straightforward job may have finally hit home. That in itself made the exercise worthwhile.

In the modern era the England manager has always had more on his plate than simply selecting and motivating a team, a realisation that has slowly dawned on Capello throughout the week. In his dealings with the clubs Capello has learnt that he must be a politician, a diplomat and, where Theo Walcott is concerned, even a faith healer — as long as he keeps his strong religious views to himself that is. (Despite Diego Maradona’s reincarnation as a coach no one has the stomach for a return of the Hand of Hodd.)

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Agbonlahor was far more impressive than all four of Capello’s previous first caps

Matt Hughes

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Capello’s 24-carat gold reserves

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As an essentially monosyllabic man, Capello could not preach to the nation even if he was so inclined, and for all the valuable tactical lessons digested in the build-up here the Italian was always likely to be more concerned with events on the pitch. With his arms folded sternly throughout you gained a distinct impression of a man at work and an individual in his element. If nothing else Capello has instilled in his players a renewed sense of discipline, as this unfamiliar line-up kept their shape and fulfilled their roles more professionally than many more experienced England sides have in recent years.

In a land that was once synonymous with the show trial, this match also contained an element of the audition, and many of the fringe players being looked at did enough to merit a recall at the very least. Gabriel Agbonlahor was far more impressive than all four of Capello’s previous first caps, although given the performances of Joe Hart, Stephen Warnock, Phil Jagielka and Dean Ashton in Trinidad last summer that is not saying much.

Agbonlahor came to Capello’s attention in the first domestic match he watched as England manager, an FA Cup tie between Aston Villa and Manchester United last January, though for a variety of reasons he made the player wait almost 11 months for his first cap. The Aston Villa forward appeared in a rush to make up for lost time, running on to a good ball from Michael Carrick to play Jermain Defoe in on goal in the second minute, only for his strike partner to mistime his run and be judged offside.

Capello has seen enough of Defoe in six matches to know that such errors are unfortunately part of his nature. Defoe went off injured at half-time but, given the chances that have been handed to the Portsmouth striker, Michael Owen — no doubt kicking the television at home — has every right to feel aggrieved.

Agbonlahor worked hard to build on his good start before fading slightly in the second half, with two incidents in particular encapsulating a flowering talent that is not yet in bloom. The 22-year-old demonstrated good commitment to challenge René Adler, the Germany goalkeeper, but was suckered into conceding an unnecessary foul. On the stroke of half-time, he made a dangerous-looking break down the left only to give the ball away carelessly. In Capello’s hands such pace and potential could be moulded into the finished product.

Agbonlahor was not the only one to impress, with Carrick doing all that could have been asked of him on his first appearance under Capello — an oddity in itself given he won both the Premier League and Champions League last season. The Manchester United midfield player is the most gifted passer of the ball in the country, with only a tendency to disappear in big games undermining his contributions, but this was one of his better nights. With Gareth Barry providing the protection he requires Carrick was able to concentrate on what he does best, controlling possession with considerable élan to demonstrate that, behind Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, Capello’s midfield cupboard is well stocked.

Stewart Downing also responded to the challenge well, with his best performance since the friendly defeat by France last March. He brought a smart save from Adler in the first half and shot wide in the second, although the jury will remain out until he reproduces such form in a competitive match.

Many trigger-happy armchair voters will already have pronounced Scott Carson’s international career to be over after his latest blunder, but given a later save and the part played by John Terry in Germany’s equaliser, the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper deserves considerable sympathy. Darren Bent will also get another opportunity, though he needs to take it more efficiently than the chance he put wide after rounding Tim Wiese.

Like England themselves, none of the understudies have secured their passage to South Africa just yet, but Capello will have taken heart from the performances of many of his reservists.