England take four points from their first two World Cup games (Image: Getty)
Well, it was all a bit boring, wasn’t it? After an exciting opening night against Croatia, England were held to a fourth successive goalless draw in their second group game against Ghana.
Please don’t take anything away from Ghana. They pressed at the right times, broke down with lightning speed, and most importantly defended with their lives. Their job was clear. The idea is to frustrate England and take away the points that would earn them qualification. Mission accomplished.
There is no need for England to completely scrap the script. No World Cup winner since 2002 has won a clean group stage, but Tuesday night’s lackluster draw in Boston should serve as a reality check for manager Thomas Tuchel.
It was too similar, but that’s fine when you play against a team like Croatia that gives you space. But as Ghana camped on the edge of their own box, England were presented with a challenge for which they had no answer.
The good news is that not every game will look like that if the Three Lions want to win the World Cup. The bad news is that their next match will likely be that way, and maybe even their first knockout showdown.
Tuchel will therefore have to roll the dice, starting with the wingers. There’s no point in having a direct forward with nowhere to go, so the first changes should be Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke. They don’t have the technical ability to pick the lock and create something out of nothing.
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Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke should feature on the wings against Panama (Image: Getty)
Bukayo Saka is an automatic starter and his addition will make England look even more threatening. On the other hand, depending on which direction you want to go, you should choose either Marcus Rashford or Eberechi Eze on the left.
Speaking of the left, Jed Spence’s experiment was a little strange. Nico O’Reilly grew up at Manchester City playing against exactly the type of opponents you want to sit deep and just defend. His intricate passing and box-crushing abilities were exactly what England needed. It is absolutely certain that he will be back on Saturday.
That leaves you with a headache at the end. That’s the 10th position. Jude Bellingham had his best game in an England shirt against Croatia, but was an unknown in Boston. But that wasn’t really his type of game.
That’s fine, different horses depending on the course. He will be valuable later in the tournament, but Morgan Rogers is certainly suited for games where the opponent is looking to falter. After all, what’s the point of having a 26-man team if you’re not going to call up those players when you need them?
Prediction eleven vs. Panama: Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly. Rice, Anderson, Rogers. Rashford, Kane, Saka
