Wayne Rooney feels two players not in the England squad were missed during the goalless draw with Ghana on Tuesday night.
After the scintillating 4-2 victory over Croatia in the opener, it was a very different affair in Boston as the Three Lions’ momentum took a hit.
Thomas Tuchel’s side finished the game with nearly 79 per cent possession and took 19 shots to Ghana’s two, but the points were shared.
England did not really look like breaking the deadlock until the final few minutes when Bukayo Saka, Nico O’Reilly and Harry Kane all came close.
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Before then, the disciplined defence of Ghana did brilliantly, blocking a huge number of efforts before they could get near their goal.
Rooney reckons it was a game for players like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, who were both left out of the England squad, but could have been the ones to pick the lock in Boston.
‘These games are more difficult than games against better team that are better going forward. There’s more space,’ said the Manchester United legend.
‘I don’t want to go back to it, But These games are when you need a Phil Foden or a Cole Palmer. Clever players in tight areas.’
While no one managed to secure the breakthrough, Rooney singled out Declan Rice as not quite having the tools to crack open a low block.
‘With Declan Rice, through all Declan’s qualities, getting in little tight areas and linking play…that’s where you probably need a Foden or a Palmer,’ he said.
Rice spoke out about how difficult it was to find openings against the impressively stubborn defence of Carlos Quieroz’s side.
‘It is always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were, but you have to find solutions. In the last 10 minutes we were unlucky not to score,’ he told the BBC.
‘We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama so positivity all round. They were very compact, 5-4-1 off the ball and tight spaces to play through, but on the other hand we can do more with the ball.
‘You have to give credit to Ghana. It’s tough and they are good players so it was never going to be an easy game. We have one more group game to top the group so we have to be positive.
‘Loads of top nations draw the first game so there is no need to be negative or downbeat. We will stay positive.’