History Shows No Need to Panic After England's Draw with Ghana
History demonstrates why there is no cause for alarm following England's draw with Ghana on Tuesday, while also emphasizing the importance of an immediate response.
Since 2006, every World Cup winner has dropped points in their first or second group match. However, each of those teams proceeded to win their group.
I am confident England will follow this pattern by defeating Panama on Saturday, though I would not be surprised if Thomas Tuchel makes three or even four changes to his lineup after such a disappointing result and performance.
'I Want to See Them Go Past Players'
Substitute Rashford scores England's fourth against Croatia
One of the most significant decisions for Tuchel concerns his choice of wingers.
I felt that Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke were not sufficiently positive against Ghana. Specifically, they did not challenge their defenders aggressively enough when the ball was played wide to them.
Their crossing was notably poor, frequently failing to beat the first defender. Our set-piece delivery was also subpar, but in open play, the service from the wingers was almost non-existent.
For these reasons, I anticipate Tuchel will alter his approach, and Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford have certainly done enough when coming on in both games to merit starting roles.
Saka's fitness appears to be the only reason he has not started either game so far. If he is fit this time, he would likely start on the right, with Rashford on the left.
What I want to see from both players is increased energy and greater directness in one-on-one situations, attempting to beat opponents.
Additionally, there must be more forward passing instead of opting for sideways or backward passes.
The Return of O'Reilly?
'Anxious moment for England' - should this have been a penalty for Ghana?
Another potential change is at left-back, with Nico O'Reilly returning to replace Djed Spence.
Without O'Reilly, we seemed to lose some creativity and attacking quality down the left flank. After he came on, we posed more of a threat during a 15-minute spell than in the rest of the match.
O'Reilly found excellent positions, contributed more on the ball, and was unlucky when his header struck the bar.
I could also understand if Tuchel reinstated John Stones in place of Ezri Konsa. Although our primary issue against Ghana was breaking down their defense, there were defensive concerns.
In the two significant attacks Ghana mounted, one could have resulted in a penalty, and the other might have led to Jordan Pickford receiving a red card.
We escaped both situations, but Tuchel has made defensive changes, and there is clearly some uncertainty at the back.
It is unclear if this has affected Pickford, but he has not appeared as assured as usual.
In the first game, his distribution was poor, and against Ghana, he was caught out rushing out, suggesting the defensive changes may have unsettled him.
A Change of Mindset Too
England held to goalless draw against Ghana
Panama has already been eliminated from the World Cup after losing both their games. Due to the head-to-head rule for group rankings, they know they will finish bottom.
They are now playing for pride, but this is unlikely to alter their usual defensive style.
This means England will likely face a similar challenge as against Ghana—dominating possession but needing to find a way through a compact defense.
To succeed, England may need to adjust their mindset as well as personnel, demonstrating greater urgency by moving the ball faster and taking more risks.
However, I would not change the midfield. If Declan Rice is fit, he should continue developing his partnership with Elliot Anderson, or alternatively, Harry Kane could be omitted.
If we had beaten Ghana and secured top spot in the group, wholesale changes might be considered. Given our current position, we must win this game, and I would certainly keep Kane to help achieve that.
England Are Part of the Excitement
As I mentioned earlier, the draw with Ghana was disappointing but far from disastrous.
The World Cup is now beyond its halfway point in terms of matches played, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far.
Among the teams that have impressed me are the USA, France, Argentina, and Spain—and England is part of that excitement as well.
Of course, we have experienced a setback, but we are not alone. Spain also had a hiccup in their draw with Cape Verde, and France performed poorly in the first half of their opener against Senegal.
There is room for improvement and tougher tests ahead in the knockout stages, but currently, we remain top of our group and on course to win it.
Alan Shearer was speaking to 's Chris Bevan
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