England's 3-0 win over Scotland on Friday was just what the national team needed.

It was the first time under both Sam Allardyce and Gareth Southgate that we've seen a solid attacking performance that actually generated a little excitement.

Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill all scored as England showed a ruthlessness in attack that was notably absent in qualifiers against Slovenia, Malta and Slovakia.

Scotland didn't present much of a challenge on the day however and in some ways England got a little lucky, particularly as Leigh Griffiths spurned a glorious chance to play Robert Snodgrass through for an equaliser.

There are still areas for improvement and Southgate should look to correct them before the Three Lions play Spain on Tuesday.

Here are three mistakes we think the manager made.

ALLOWING STONES TO PLAY RISKY PASSES

John Stones and Pep Guardiola

It seems amazing that under two bosses as defensively disciplined players as Gareth Southgate and Pep Guardiola that John Stones gets away with as many defensive mishaps as he does.

The Scotland game was another example as there was more than one occasion when the defender played himself into trouble.

Stones undoubtedly has an eye for a pass and must have been told to play these balls or he'd have surely been dropped for club and country. Perhaps managers like Southgate should remind him he is a defender first.

PLAYING FOR POSSESSION OVER PRESSURE

Britain Football Soccer - England v Scotland - 2018 World Cup Qualifying European Zone - Group F - Wembley Stadium, London, England - 11/11/16 England's Adam Lallana celebrates scoring their second goal with Wayne Rooney Reuters / Eddie Keogh Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.

While everything turned out well in the end, for the first 20 minutes it looked as though it was going to be a snooze-fest before Kyle Walker set Daniel Sturridge up for the first goal.

It was the first time England ramped up the tempo and it found immediate success, yet the Three Lions were content to keep the ball with slow passing for the remainder of the half.

Players like Adam Lallana, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker have excelled this season with a fast-paced style and - judging by the results on Friday - England would do well to try and mimic it.

PLAYING VARDY ON HIS OWN UP FRONT

Jamie Vardy

As we have seen in the handful of appearances Jamie Vardy has made on his own up front, the Leicester striker is much better with someone else playing alongside him.

Vardy spent the last 20 minutes chasing loose balls but not really threatening as the game was already won.

If Southgate wants to experiment, he should try his players in roles they are familiar with at club level. Instead of using Vardy as a lone front-man, South Gate would have learned more about his side by giving Marcus Rashford a runout.