What a way for England to get their World Cup off to a flyer. Croatia were running scared for much of the second half of Wednesday’s match – the supposed toughest group-stage test for England.
The Three Lions’ 4-2 victory was largely positive, but Thomas Tuchel’s game plan still needs some finessing.
Given that he kept his head as all others around him were losing theirs, Marcus Rashford deserves promoting to the starting XI for the Ghana clash on Tuesday – especially when you take into account the man who has stolen his Catalonian dreams, Anthony Gordon, was so anonymous in England’s opener.
It represents a remarkable turnaround for the Manchester United outcast, who put his disappointment at only being on the bench to one side to seal victory with a composed finish.
Rashford made a huge impact off the bench (Photo: Getty)“He struggled for us to be decisive when he started, but he was always trying and got a bit unlucky for a long time,” England coach Tuchel said of Rashford. “We just had a talk [on Tuesday] where I told him that I’m very, very impressed with his last 16 days – how he was in camp, how he pushes on the field.
“He is totally invested in every meeting. He is very, very fast in translating a meeting onto the pitch, what we want tactically. “He pushes on a very respectful level with Anthony Gordon on the position, so he’s in a very good place. Hopefully he can keep this up.”
There is an argument to keeping Rashford as an impact sub. Gordon is less of a threat in moments, with Rashford’s pace useful late in the day. He has, however, done enough to start in Boston.
Noni Madueke probably did enough to keep his place in the starting XI, even if Bukayo Saka is back to full fitness. More recovery time could be beneficial for the latter. The final group game against Panama could be a more suitable opener for him.
The downside to England’s electrifying opener was how porous they were at the back. Tuchel took a gamble on an out-of-practice John Stones at centre-back, alongside Ezri Konsa, someone he is not used to playing with. It did not pay off.
Time and again England were carved open, right through the middle. Stones needs games to get back up to speed, as he could be vital in the latter stages, but after so little Manchester City action – he has one Premier League start under his belt in six months – he cannot play three games in quick succession.
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Declan Rice’s fitness could be a concern and force Tuchel into shuffling his midfield pack. Kobbie Mainoo is the perfect ball-playing replacement. And he could give Manchester United supporters a glimpse into their dream future alongside Elliot Anderson in midfield.
Reece James is another who struggled to keep Croatia at bay at times. Trent Alexander-Arnold would have been the perfect stand-in, but Tuchel doesn’t work that way. Djed Spence looked lively when he came off the bench, nearly getting on the scoresheet himself.
Starting Spence would be left-field, but Tuchel would consider it. James is another short on regular game-time, so a rest could be useful.
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