LEICESTER -- This was a bit more like it. England's 5-0 victory over Greece was the dominant performance Sarina Wiegman called for.
The Lionesses should have won by more with several second-half chances going awry, but this was a match where they continued fine-tuning their new-look system while also throwing their weight around.
But as you looked across Europe tonight England's win fitted neatly into the canvas of top tier domination. Those who played in the "A Groups" in the Nations League all put their collective stamps of authority on inferior opposition. The margins of victory and level of control raises question over whether this qualification process is fit for purpose.
Taking this match in isolation first, though, this was a night where we caught a glimpse of the next iteration of Wiegman's England. There was a debut for Lexi Potter. Freya Godfrey won her first cap off the bench, too.
Maya Le Tissier continued to deputise for the injured Lucy Bronze. We saw the three-at-the-back system, the two central midfielders, the wingbacks, and the two No. 10s covering the whole width of the pitch behind Alessia Russo. It allowed a Lauren James masterclass, while Georgia Stanway, Russo, Le Tissier and Lauren Hemp were also outstanding.
There were moments where you dug your fingernails in as England defended, and some wayward final balls, but there was far more of a strut about the Lionesses tonight. They had a further two goals disallowed -- the first harshly. The energy and verve was back. Work to do, but a step forward.
Of the dependable frequent starters, Stanway, James, Russo and Hemp were standouts. Stanway has been so often used as a No.8 in Wiegman's system, but on tonight she was shifted further forward into the role Laura Blindkilde Brown had in the first leg 3-1 win last Friday.
Wiegman called for greater ruthlessness after that win, and the move to shift Stanway forward worked. Both her and James worked well behind Russo, while Hemp and Le Tissier dovetailed beautifully on the flanks. The role suits both, and Le Tissier has cemented herself as the heir apparent to Bronze when the legendary right-back one day rests her weary limbs. Alex Greenwood's pinpoint distribution from the back also works beautifully in this system, given she has two wing backs to aim for with that pitching wedge of a left foot.
But James was at the heart of everything England did well in the first half. The first goal came after just three minutes as Stanway won the ball back, James fed Russo and she finished comfortably. James added England's second in the 16th minute, as she finished comprehensively from just inside the box.
England were playing with far more purpose than we've seen and by 35 minutes, they had four, with Stanway finishing on the half-hour mark, and James grabbing her second as she finished off a brilliant Hemp cross. Potter thought she had a debut goal on the stroke of half time, but it was ruled out for a Stanway foul in the build-up.
Potter's debut had been coming. The England players have been talking her up since she was called up to this camp, her first time with the seniors. She's impressed for Chelsea this season alongside Walsh, and that partnership worked well here. Potter's positioning and box-to-box nature allowed Walsh to push further forward, and after a slightly nervy first couple of touches, Potter looked right at home.
Wiegman took off James at the break for Beth Mead and with England safely through, the accuracy dipped a little. Beth Mead, Niamh Charles, Grace Fisk, Godfrey and Jess Park were all introduced during the second half and England had a fifth disallowed for an offside in the build-up.
It was a huge shame, given the class of Stanway's control and finish. But by the 75th minute Russo had her second as she rounded the keeper to score. Russo's movement was a constant problem for Greece's defenders.
All in all, job done. But this margin of victory and several others around Europe tonight raises the question of what exactly the point of these matches are.
The one-sided scores do little for A). The winning team. B). The losing team or C). The sport. Look through the teams from Group A and how they've fared against weaker and it's a series of gross mismatches, with both Sweden and Netherlands hitting double figures across the two legs.
The qualification system needs rethinking. It's simply not fit for purpose.
England's attention now shifts to Ukraine, and their double-header hugging November and December. Win that, and they're off to Brazil. But everything the Lionesses do is already seen through the prism of next year's World Cup.
That's what happens when you're one of the world's best teams. We saw welcome glimpses of a return to form tonight as the Lionesses got the job done. In the closing stages of the match the crowd chanted "we want six."
The party had already long started in the stands with a game that went to script.