That's a wrap from the international break then, as the Premier League returns on Saturday.

Join us as ever for all of the games, all of the names. Saturday sees Chelsea host champions Leicester in the early game, while Monday night could be one for your diary - Liverpool v Manchester United.

See you there! 

Scotland boss Gordon Strachan admitted he was surprised the referee did not spot the foul on Steven Fletcher before Slovakia's opener.

He said: "That was perplexing. I'm wondering how he can't see that. That didn't help us, that's for sure. We're needing that wee break now and then.

"We're one point away from a play-off place at this moment. What we've got to do is find the right system to play the next game.

"We don't usually tinker with it too much. We had an extra midfield player tonight which we felt worked for a long period of the game. We will just have to look at it again."

Steve Howes: Sturridge lacks vision, Theo runs fast, Dier & Henderson poor. Rooney changed nothing. Need to start Townsend & Rashford

Lee Saunders: Extremely poor England display. On par Iceland Euro game. New captain. Same issue. No leadership. No improvement.

Andrew Neill: Two woeful performances, fortunately against poor opposition, with others in the group doing us a favour to keep us top

Image source, PA

Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill: "I couldn't have asked any more of the players. In the second half we defended well. We ran out of legs a little bit to threaten them but at the end of the day we said if we could take anything here it would be a huge bonus.

"We've been beaten 2-0 but I think that whatever happens I don't see any of the other teams coming here and winning, so it's far from a disaster and now we have to look forward to the next game against Azerbaijan."

Tonight is the first time the opposition has had more shots than England in a competitive game since Montenegro in March 2013.

Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis: "Clearly it was a very difficult night, they are a very difficult side to play against.

"Obviously we gave ourselves a bit of a mountain to climb at 2-0. You're not going to come here and score three goals away from home.

"So you've got to be realistic but I think the positives are we managed to show pride, we kept digging in to the very end, kept going, and it's no embarrassment losing here."

So Gareth Southgate is two games into a four-game audition to be the new England manager.

Half full view: Four points, top of the group, unbeaten.

Half empty view: Two very, very average performances. At best. No signs of improvement. 

Which side of the glass are you drinking from? 

Danny Mills
Ex-England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

The amount of pressure Slovenia put England under panicked them. 'Oh now I have the ball' when it becomes frantic and you don’t have the experience at this level, when the ball gets turned over, you are chasing at 100mph. you get it back then you are still at 100mph.

You need to stop and calm yourself down and play it. The midfield need to slow it down when they get it. The manager said we need to play quickly but senior players need to go against the manager’s instructions and kill the tempo of the game.

John Motson
BBC commentator on BBC Radio 5 live

It is only two games under Gareth Southgate, but there was a lack of imagination. If you take Joe Hart's saves out of it, you have to say we were looking like we did in the summer. This was no better than than at the Euros. 

This is a new young team, this 11 have not started for England before, we said don't expect too much too soon from the new regime but there was no noticeable improvement.

England manager Gareth Southgate: "The overall objective is to qualify so long term that could be an important point. Everyone can see we could be better but their chances came from our mistakes or set-pieces.

"We owe our goalkeeper really for getting a point. He was fantastic. He's at his best when he's calm and composed, it's something we've discussed and this week his manner has been very calm. He was at his best tonight. It was a brilliant save, we didn't start either half well and its an outstanding save that gets us a point.

"I can't thank the players and support team enough for the backing I have had. We wanted six points but we have taken over a mess and had to steady the ship. We are on track. I am going to have a couple of days to go and sleep."

Danny Mills
Ex-England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

Any positives for England? 0-0, and it's a clean sheet away from home.

Joe Hart's performance was exceptional, he played like a sweeper keeper for one of the saves. His flying save to his left reminded me of David Seaman in the 2003 FA Cup against Sheffield United's Paul Peschisolido, you have to have strong hands for that.

Hart was tortured after the Euros, he had a tough time at Manchester City but came back. Don't write top players off too quickly.

Image source, Reuters

Group C (Northern Ireland's group)

Czech Republic 0-0 Azerbaijan  

Norway 4-1 San Marino

Northern Ireland drop to third in their group, three points behind second-placed Azerbaijan and five behind leaders Germany.

Group E 

Kazakhstan 0-0 Romania

Denmark 0-1 Montenegro  

Poland 2-1 Armenia  

Group F (Scotland and England's group)

Lithuania 2-0 Malta 

Lithuania move up to second as Scotland drop to fourth.

Richard Wilson
BBC Scotland

Jeering at the end from the Scotland fans, and rueful looks on the faces of the Scotland players. Manager Gordon Strachan stood on the touchline at the end, applauding the away support, but this was another chastening night for the national team.

Comfortably beaten in the end, despite a bright enough display in the opening half, this was a performance grimly undermined by poor defending and a lack of threat in attack. The team has lacked the quality to win against the teams ranked directly above and below them in Group F, which suggests there is no likelihood of finishing above third place.

This was deflating and a wretched outcome for Scotland. The question now is, where does it leave Strachan?

Image source, PA

That Joe Hart save gets better with every viewing. Sensational. 

John Motson
BBC commentator on BBC Radio 5 live

The headline maker has to be Joe Hart. Had it not been for him, England would have unquestionably lost.

His stop off Jasmin Kurtic was like Gordon Banks from Pele, one of the great saves by an England goalkeeper. He played out of his skin today.

We did not have enough goal threat up front and the substitutions did not make any difference.

What has happened to Jamie Vardy? He does not get any gametime for England now.

It is a point though, won two and drawn one, but the performance left a lot to be desired.

England goalkeeper Joe Hart: "They had chances, we dominated the game. A lot of respect, they have dug in and Jan Oblak had a fantastic game for them.

"It's 0-0, we are going to have to take it. It's my best game for a while, but it was down to a few errors from us. We have to improve but we are trying to qualify for Russia. My body is in pieces, I'll struggle to get up tomorrow. I landed on the frame of the goal."

AndyMac: ENGLAND football, what's the point ? 

Image source, Reuters