It is a reminder that while Southgate's side have made qualification look straightforward, it can be tricky. Their consistency stands out. Unbeaten in qualifying for a third World Cup in a row, they have only lost once in qualifying for any major tournament in a dozen years. Players now look happiest in an England shirt. It was not always so. Pressed further on the subject, Djokovic said: "I haven't been talking to them. I was just waiting to hear what the news is going to be. Now that I know, we'll just have to wait and see." "Let's start with a reality check: this was San Marino, ranked 210th in the world, who have lost 35 World Cup Qualifiers on the trot with an aggregate score of 146 goals against, seven scored. The defending was more Sunday league than Premier League.