Forget penalties, England's biggest obstacle is a glaring lack of creativity

“We’re not creative enough, and we’re not positive enough,” professes Trevor Brooking in the opening sentiments of Three Lions, a song that has inexplicably been given more room space at this tournament since the Baddiel, Skinner and Lightning Seeds original was repackaged for France ‘98.

Brooking, formerly of West Ham United and England fame, could have been muttering about large swathes of a fairly wretched, taut and turgid last-16 wrestling contest with Colombia, a match which is only ever memorable when you emerge victorious. On such evenings, winning is everything. The loser does not even merit the garlands of sympathy for offering little or nothing in terms of trying to perform their chosen sport. Jose Pekerman's Colombia, you will not be missed in Russia.

While the euphoria of England winning a penalty shoot-out for the first since sinking Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro ‘96 has been greeted with more glee and chavs than Nigel Farage’s Brexit party, it also hints at a grim reality of what probably lies ahead from here on in.

It must be said, England’s penalties were magnificently executed by Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Kieran Trippier and Eric Dier. Jordan Henderson saw David Ospina produce an outrageous save from his fine kick of the football.

But the rest of the conversions, and Jordan Pickford's suitably picky goalkeeping, produced the type of bravery Gareth Southgate would wish to see at such a defining moment.

He must hope the bravery extends to imagination on the ball with players such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard more than capable of becoming the divine interventionists England crave.

Southgate's side lacked ingenuity against Colombia, but deserved to survive a torrid evening in Moscow to move closer to a first World Cup final since carrying off the game’s biggest prize at the old Wembley in 1966.

Judging by the fare on offer in their win over Switzerland, Sweden are unlikely to offer up a smorgasbord of delights for the viewer on Saturday, but England should make it their sole business to entertain in Samara. What is to lose by being yourself?

Open play is viewed as open water at such events when fear takes hold. In the last-16 matches, only Brazil, France and latterly Belgium have managed to cut loose. Probably because they have the personnel to celebrate their superior technique freely.

Spain illustrated why France's 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu once said tiki-taka like was "love without sex "as they failed to breach Russia more than once. But at least they can look themselves in the mirror knowing they went out on their principles. If England had lost to Colombia, there would have been a palpable sensation of unfulfilled potential.

It could be argued that style will not matter to Southgate outside of his waistcoat-donning days if his team continue to win robustly. As Portugal demonstrated at Euro 2016, these tournaments can be claimed with a bit of luck and a willingness not to bend. Both of which England indulged in on Tuesday evening.

The 23.6m who drank it all in on ITV, and the gregarious Ross Kemp weirdly morphing into Grant Mitchell on Twitter if he remembers the night before, will agree. History does not remember the finer points of outcomes.

But England’s win over Colombia was the ugliest match of this tournament so far, the sort of evening that was as appealing to witness as downing a three-day old pint of Bombardier.

36 fouls and eight yellow cards were doled out by American match official Mark Geiger, who remained remarkably unflappable despite being disgracefully hounded by yellow and red shirts whenever he blew his whistle.

Even VAR could not provide the referee the answers when he should have red carded Wilmar Barrios for headbutting Henderson with John Stones fortunate to avoid a red for catching a grounded opponent with his boot. It was a horrid match to watch even if the end justifies the means.

"There were so many interruptions in the game, far too many interruptions. If a team wants to play a certain style of football, all those interruptions aren't good. It hurt us,” said Pekerman, who contributed to his side’s downfall by sending them out to destroy rather than create.

Denied the injured James Rodriguez, Colombia did not come to play football. They came to engage England in a tag team contest which rendered the beautiful game more akin to the sweet science.

Having watched his team commit 23 fouls and flirt with a red card when Henderson was assaulted, Pekerman’s complaints made as much sense as your average Love Island contestant when his team were merely a pumped up version of Panama’s Grid Iron gang. If you fraternise with the dark arts, you cannot emit too much complaint when the opposition decide to man up.

But it is also too simplistic to blame Colombia's tactics for the limited nature of England's play. Especially when Ospina only made one save during the match.

Astonishingly, Kane is the top scorer at this World Cup with six goals from only six attempts, but what is the alternative if dead balls are dead?

England are no longer hypnotised by penalties, but their next trick is to prove they can thrive in the final third. The love train, as ITV pundit Glenn Hoddle amusingly described it on numerous occasions - and a throwback to Big Ron's delightful lollipops - of Harry Maguire, John Stones and Harry Kane arriving mob handed for corners before splitting to cause chaos in the opposition area is limited in its variety. Sweden will expect this tactic in Samara.

Apart from Jesse Lingard’s swerving run and hit against Panama, a risible side who should have been nowhere near this tournament, England have been the hit-and-run kings, exploiting set-pieces to their advantage:

Southgate’s side are probably 50-50 to reach the final: 55-45 at worst to oust Sweden and 45-55 at worst to usurp Croatia if they touch down in the semi-finals.

But they remain outsiders to win the trophy despite being only three victories shy of the promised land. Simply because they lack enough finesse in the danger areas to provide true certainty.

It was the former England manager Graham Taylor who used to devote himself to set-pieces because he believed they won and lost matches; the only time in the narrative of a match that you can freely dictate where you want to put the ball.

England are not in Russia for a beauty contest, but there is an ugly truth amid all the usual nationalistic fervour: if it is coming home, it is unlikely to arrive by love bombing the love train.