Alan Shearer believes England ‘have a point to prove’ and has urged Thomas Tuchel to make as many as four changes for their final World Cup group game versus Panama.
The Three Lions were given somewhat of a reality check in their second game of the tournament as they laboured to a goalless draw against Ghana in Boston.
England’s convincing win against Croatia earlier in the tournament means Tuchel’s side are still virtually guaranteed to qualify for the knockout stages.
And while Shearer insists there is still ‘no need to panic’, the former England captain wants to see plenty of improvement against Panama to rebuild some momentum ahead of the knockouts.
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‘I really expected us to go into the Ghana game and play with great belief and confidence and tempo and pace to the game, but it was exactly the opposite to that, there was no edge, everything was safe, everything was sideways or backwards,’ he told Betfair.
‘There weren’t enough players going past their opponent one v one and whipping balls in. When we did get the chance to put crosses in for the vast majority of time, they were very poor crosses.
There is plenty of improvement to be made if England are going to win the World Cup. But I don’t think there’s any need to panic. Our objective was to win the group, and we’ll still probably do that. So, no need to panic at all.’
With England still needing a positive result to ensure they finish top of Group L, Tuchel will not be able to make wholesale changes for Saturday’s game against Panama.
But Shearer believes that the German tactician should consider making changes at both ends of the pitch to help England get back to their attacking best.
‘I think Tuchel will look back and question everything that went on in that second game,’ he added.
‘But the one surprise I thought was in the left-back situation because for as much praise as he got for the changes and substitutions he made in the Croatia game and was really positive, I thought there was a slightly negative effect in trying to counter-attack what they did rather than concentrating on what England can do and that’s what I think he’ll look back and reflect on.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he brought Stones back in for Konsa so he and Guehi can have a chance of playing together. It wouldn’t surprise me if he brought Nico O’Reilly back in at left-back and changed the two wingers from Gordon and Madueke to Saka and Rashford. That would be a guess of mine of what he might do.
‘They’ve got to play with more tempo and pace to their game. When you’ve got that low block and I don’t care who you’re playing against, if they get that many men behind the ball and they’re really well organised it’s tough to break down.
‘But you have to be brave, and you have to put balls into the box when you get the opportunity you have to take it, and I thought too many times they were really poor in that situation.’
Asked for a prediction, a confident Shearer responded: ‘I think he’ll make three or four changes. I think we’ll see a more energetic performance, and I think we’ll beat Panama 2-0 or 3-0.’
Tuchel could well be forced into more changes after Reece James missed training on Friday with concern over a hamstring issue.
England will likely want to take no risks given James’ chequered injury history and could turn to Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa or Jarell Quansah as possible cover.
Declan Rice, who is on a yellow card and also managing a slight niggle, could also be left out, with Kobbie Mainoo potentially poised for his first minutes of the tournament in place of the Arsenal midfielder.
England are aiming to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966, having come agonisingly close to silverware under previous boss Sir Gareth Southgate.
Southgate’s England contested back-to-back European Championship finals and went deep in successive World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and the quarters four years ago in Qatar.
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