World Cup 2026: England should not panic after draw with Ghana
England's goalless draw against Ghana was a real lesson, showing a lack of creativity and need to improve before the next match against Panama.
Coach Thomas Tuchel insisted England's impressive opening win over Croatia will make "fans in the pubs very excited". However, the poor draw against Ghana made them immediately return to reality. The way England defeated Croatia raised expectations and excitement, but this proved to be a tough test as Ghana showed resilience, physicality and organisation, creating an insurmountable barrier. Currently, England are top of Group L and have a strong possibility of progressing to the last 32 - Declan Rice also reflected the "non-panic" mood within the squad, telling BBC Sport: "We still have a big chance of finishing top of the group against Panama, so let's stay positive." However, not everyone felt the same way as the Three Lions' creativity was constrained by Ghana's tenacity - but the team remained in a favorable position. If the win over Croatia brought joy to watching England, the match against Ghana brought back reality with them having to work hard, but unable to penetrate the opposition's defence. England's first two matches have presented contrasting challenges. While Croatia pressed high, Ghana played deep defense and were willing to let England control the ball, as shown by the fact that they had 78.2% of possession. Ghana's veteran coach, Carlos Queiroz, seemed pleased to repeatedly criticize that England had "no solution". Tuchel admitted: "It's difficult to find a way through when the opposition play 4-5-1 and defend so deep, and they celebrated the 0-0 draw as a victory. You can see different approaches, which is fair and commendable to them. You can't lose your temper about that." In the first match against Croatia, England's wingers and centre-forwards posed a threat. With Ghana sitting deep, the Three Lions needed a bit of individual magic - but couldn't find it. Bukayo Saka gave hope in his short spell, highlighting Tuchel's concerns about his wingers and the need for change. New Barcelona player Anthony Gordon was once again quiet, and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Saka in the 65th minute, and at least Arsenal forced Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare into a fine late save. Early evidence suggests it won't be long before Saka, who is managing a heel injury, and Marcus Rashford take over as wingers for England. As for Thomas Tuchel, I predict there will be changes on Saturday night against Panama," former England captain Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport. "England have found a way, but there are many small details throughout the game that Tuchel will look at with the team and try to improve. When a team defends deep, you have to make crosses. It's very difficult to defend against that. I don't think we made enough crosses in 90 minutes." England captain Harry Kane was so closely marked that he only had two touches of the ball in Ghana's box in the first half, although he missed a late chance. The Three Lions' midfield also looked monotonous, raising questions about the impact that a creative player like Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White could have, or one with the intelligent passing ability of Adam Wharton. Two conductors were absent - Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Manchester City's Phil Foden - may also have helped break down Ghana's resolute defence, but their form at the club was not good enough, and it was easy to get wise after the event. However, Tuchel still insists Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will build the foundation of the midfield - but there is no denying that England have lacked ideas and variety at times. Rice told BBC Sport: "They are very tight, 5-4-1 when not there is the ball and the playing space is very narrow, but on the other hand, we can do more with the ball. You must recognize Ghana. They are good players, so this is never going to be an easy match. We still have one more match in the group stage to top the group, so we have to stay positive. Many top teams have drawn their first match, so there's no need to be negative or discouraged. We will stay positive. England arrive at the World Cup as one of the favorites and hoping to finally end a run of defeats stretching back to 1966 - but they will need to show more to scare the likes of Spain and France, as well as Brazil, Argentina and Portugal. They showed urgency too late but were still able to win, with substitute Nico O'Reilly hitting the crossbar and Marc Guehi's header cleared off the line. But for long periods England lacked inspiration and they also faced many nervous moments from Ghana's counter-attacks in the second half as defensive weaknesses re-emerged. Queiroz is entirely right to point out that Ghana could have - and probably should have - had a penalty late on. Initially, Ezri Konsa looked to have made a crucial save against Prince Kwabena Adu. On review, Konsa only touched the player but not the ball, with referee Said Martinez denying Ghana's claims. Queiroz insisted "VAR has gone on holiday" and added: "I apologize for my sarcasm" - which actually seems like a clear case of "sorry, not sorry". England remain in control of their destiny - but this was a dull game that brought them back to reality in an unexpected way.
Related Articles
Teams
Players