In a perfect scenario, England’s only selection dilemma before their matchup with Panama would revolve around whether to give Harry Kane a break or allow the striker to pursue the Golden Boot against the Group L underdogs. However, after a disappointing 0-0 draw with Ghana on Tuesday, Thomas Tuchel’s hopes of resting some key players have been dashed, leaving complications in his squad management.
The stakes are high for England, who now face a demanding schedule that could see them play four matches in just 13 days. Tuchel must navigate this challenge carefully, especially since this game was anticipated as a potential day off for Kane, with Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney seen as capable replacements. With the necessity to secure the top position in the group, the priority is less about resting Kane and more about how to manage rotation effectively.
Changes to the lineup are imminent, some due to necessity. Declan Rice is one booking away from suspension and displayed signs of an injury after the Ghana match, while the absence of Reece James, sidelined with a hamstring injury, poses a significant challenge. His history of such injuries had been a concern, and Tuchel’s defensive strategy is now under scrutiny as he had only included three attacking full-backs in his squad.
This situation complicates what could have been a straightforward encounter against Panama. The result against Ghana means England must maintain their intensity and cannot afford to relax.
Tuchel faces decisions regarding whether to keep Kane and Bellingham in the starting lineup. Some key players will be essential for England, who want to avoid finishing second in the group, which could complicate their path through the knockout stages. After a victory over Croatia, it is crucial for England to regain momentum following another stumble in the second match of a major tournament.
Despite not expressing panic, Tuchel acknowledges the need for England to improve their performance against teams that employ a low block. The match against Ghana was a struggle against their compact 4-5-1 formation, and Panama’s defense may present a similar challenge. Although Panama has been eliminated after losing 1-0 to both Ghana and Croatia, they have shown resilience and have improved since their 6-1 defeat to England in the 2018 World Cup.
Tuchel expects a tough match against Panama, whose defensive setup can shift from five to six or seven at times. He understands that England has historically struggled against teams that sit deep. While they thrived against teams like Croatia, Serbia, and Wales, their less impressive performances against Andorra, Albania, and Latvia during qualifying remain fresh in memory. Ghana posed a similar challenge, with Thomas Partey effectively neutralizing Kane’s ability to drop deep, resulting in a stark statistic: Kane had only 19 touches and made three passes with Jude Bellingham.
The issue of overcoming low blocks continues to trouble Tuchel.
“It is normal that it is difficult for us to overcome these blocks,”
he said. “We want to be active and did enough to win [against Ghana]. We had to do a lot to control the counterattacks, which we couldn’t twice and twice it was very dangerous. “I haven’t found the recipe where: ‘They do this, then we do this and then we are fine.’ We will try to find a very active and aggressive approach against Panama but we cannot just be stupid and naive. We cannot just be open and put seven players on the last line and defend with three. It’s not serious enough.”
“There was no overload against Ghana,”
“There will very likely be no overload against Panama.”
“I thought: “OK, left side is solved,’”
he noted. “We played the first match and they’re not clicking. It was not the same penetration, not the same verticality, and this was the same in the second match.”
“He’s a candidate to start,”
Tuchel said. “But the left side in general needs to provide more threat.”
“It is difficult to accelerate the match against these low blocks. It needs this one moment of quality and a bit more precision with the crossing. Are we arriving aggressively enough with the cross? How can we shoot more from outside the box, have a deflection and force this goal in?”
“I have experienced matches like this in the group stages of the Champions League,”
he reflected. “You know they will celebrate their duels, they will celebrate their counterattack. Once they come over the middle line of the pitch they celebrate like a goal. It was like that. They celebrated a 0-0 like they won.”
This situation necessitates taking more risks in possession and avoiding careless mistakes that could allow Panama to disrupt play. Bellingham’s frustration was evident against Ghana, particularly when he conceded an unnecessary free kick just before halftime.
Maintaining intensity is crucial for England. The center-backs must be more assertive, and Kobbie Mainoo’s skills in tight midfield scenarios could be beneficial if he replaces Rice. The wingers should aggressively challenge their opponents. Tuchel is hopeful that Bukayo Saka can step in for Noni Madueke on the right side, and Marcus Rashford may replace the ineffective Anthony Gordon on the left. Another option could involve using Eberechi Eze or Morgan Rogers to drift inside and link up play effectively. Bellingham has been proactive in seeking the ball but has not been sufficiently utilized.
Tuchel notices a decline in the connections on the left side since Gordon previously linked well with Nico O’Reilly in their recent friendly against Costa Rica.
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