Thomas Tuchel has warned his England side they cannot afford another slow start after their 4-2 win over Croatia served as a wake-up call. The Three Lions face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday night, knowing victory would secure their place in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
But the head coach is far from satisfied. He wants to see a more aggressive defensive shape from the first whistle, not after falling behind.
Tuchel wants England to stay on the front foot
England raced into an early lead against Croatia but then dropped deep, allowing their opponents back into the game. Tuchel was blunt in his assessment.
“We dropped too deep,” he said. “That cannot happen again. We have to stay aggressive and compact as a unit.”
The win was enough to put England top of Group L on goal difference. A win over Ghana would guarantee top spot if Panama fail to beat Croatia in the later fixture. But Tuchel is taking nothing for granted.
Ghana pose a real threat
Ghana have already shown they can cause problems. They held Panama to a 1-1 draw in their opening match and will be confident of testing England’s defence. Tuchel knows his side cannot afford to switch off.
“Every game at this level punishes mistakes,” he said. “We made too many against Croatia. The result was good, but the performance needs to be better.”
England’s attacking threat looks strong. Harry Kane scored twice against Croatia, and the midfield trio of Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, and Phil Foden controlled large spells. But the defensive lapses were clear for everyone to see.
Tuchel has built his reputation on organised, high-pressing teams. He will expect nothing less from England as the tournament progresses. The Ghana match is a chance to show they have learned from their mistakes.
Can England keep a clean sheet and book their place in the last 16? We will find out on Tuesday night.