England had to wait a long time to finally play a match at the World Cup, but it was definitely worth it.
Perhaps the most exciting game of the group stages so far, both The Three Lions and Croatia impressed with some excellent attacking moves.
Both the goals scored by Zlatko Dalić’s team were exceptional, but clear mistakes were made by their opponents.
Additionally, England only managed to score from set pieces in the first half. However, there were visible improvements after a stern half-time team talk from Thomas Tuchel.
It was a good result for his side in the end, but there are alterations which he should really consider making before their clash against Ghana next Tuesday.
Marc Guéhi should replace John Stones
Many were left scratching their heads when Tuchel announced his squad upon discovering that John Stones would be going to the World Cup.
After all, the veteran defender has struggled with injuries over the past season, and even when he has been available, his game time at Man City has been limited. Stones made 18 appearances in all competitions, and yet Marc Guéhi has started nearly every match since his February arrival from Crystal Palace.
Yet it was the 32-year-old who was selected on Wednesday, in what can only be described as a misjudgement on Tuchel’s part.
Croatia’s opening goal was very good, but Stones should have done better. He was completely fooled by Peter Sucic’s dummy, and went to ground to block the anticipated shot.
Instead, the winger played a pass to Martin Baturina, who found the net with a powerful strike. The centre-back was not the only one to make a mistake in that moment, but he would go on to be wrong-footed a few times during the match.
In fairness, Stones played no part in the second goal conceded. That came about because of some poor tracking from Reece James.
But on the whole, Stones looked a bit off the pace, made very few defensive contributions, and should be swapped out for Guéhi.
The two-time FA Cup winner has had a very good season, and other than a howler of a pass against Everton, he has been a reliable option since joining Man City.
Nico O’Reilly was a problem too
Time and time again, the left side of England’s defense looked like a weak spot, and that was not solely down to Stones. Nico O’Reilly was just as responsible for Croatia’s first goal, as he failed to track back in time while playing further up the pitch. The World Cup debutant seemed to struggle at the back, raising concerns over whether he is the best player for the role.
In addition to this, O’Reilly had a big chance to land on the scoresheet, but he placed a free header wide of the right post.
O’Reilly is still young, being just 21 years of age. He only made his senior debut in August 2024, and played as a midfielder for much of this season.
But Djed Spence is someone who has been playing as a full-back all year long, and he has done a decent job there for Tottenham Hotspur. Once upon a time, his career looked dead in the water, but now he looks like a player who could do a job for the Three Lions.
Spence came off the bench and was nothing short of electric. In fact, his pace afforded him an opportunity on goal, but he was unable to get any conviction on his effort.
Nevertheless, the 25-year-old should start against Ghana, mainly because he is the stronger candidate when it comes to duels and defending one-on-one situations.
Buyako Saka needs to come in
England were able to take the lead nice and early against the Croatian national team thanks to a penalty kick, which was won by Noni Madueke. Other than that, the Arsenal winger did not make any significant contributions, but his performance was satisfactory enough.
Despite this, Madueke should be on the bench next Tuesday, and it really has very little to do with his own abilities.
Rather it is because Bukayo Saka needs to be starting after his heroics off the bench, including an assist for England’s final goal. Madueke’s club teammate is simply more of an impact player than he himself is. He can create moments of magic seemingly from nowhere.
Over the past few years, Saka has been a regular in his country’s starting lineup, and there is a reason as to why this is the case.
Although Madueke is a fine attacker, Saka is the one you could picture doing something special if England were to go all the way to the World Cup final.
Marcus Rashford must start
Barcelona have made the decision to sign Anthony Gordon, instead of making Marcus Rashford’s loan move permanent. Maybe that will work out for them in the long-term, but right now the club have been left with egg on their faces.
Gordon was England’s worst attacker on the pitch against Croatia and it was not even close. He only touched the ball 17 times in 72 minutes, and only ever came close to scoring with a close-range header which lacked both power and direction.
Rashford, on the other hand, did more in 18 minutes than the left winger did during his time on the pitch.
Finding himself in acres of space, it seemed almost impossible for Rashford not to find the back of the net when he received a grounded ball by Saka. However, Josip Stanisic made a very good recovery run, preventing the Manchester United star from going one-on-one against Dominik Livakovic.
This was not a problem for Rashford, who used his left foot to move the ball inside before finding the bottom right corner with his opposing foot.
It was a brilliant moment which required a lot of composure, and highlighted exactly why he needs to be in the starting lineup.
Jordan Pickford’s display was shaky
Those are the four changes Tuchel needs to make, but there is a fifth which should maybe come at a later date, depending on how the match against Ghana plays out.
It concerns the goalkeeping position, after a performance from Jordan Pickford which brought about its own concerns. The Everton shot-stopper looked flustered at times, and did not appear comfortable when he was attempting to make saves. Pickford only faced 0.51 xG, yet conceded on two occasions. Worse still, his -1.49 goals prevented show that he ought to have done better.
Dean Henderson is likely to be Tuchel’s second choice, but he should consider giving James Trafford a go when England play Panama in their final group stage fixture. The Man City goalkeeper acted as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s understudy for most of the season, but he was trusted to play in the domestic cups.
And it is hard to make an argument against Trafford, considering City won both those competitions, while he kept a clean sheet in each of the finals. As someone who is good at making saves and distributing the ball, it is worth seeing what the 23-year-old can do in a game which England will be expected to win fairly easily.
Still… a good start for England
While Tuchel should be making some changes to his team after the 4-2 victory over Croatia, this does not mean he should be feeling down.
On the contrary, there were more positives than negatives to take from the game, particularly England’s pacey and creative attack.
Gareth Southgate built a very stable Three Lions, but he was often accused of playing backwards thinking football [soccer] which failed to entertain.
The general consensus after some friendlies and Nations League fixtures was that Tuchel would be the same, only with less stability at the back.
Some England fans even claimed Southgate had been wronged, and that he did a much better job than he was given credit for.
But they were able to see a different side to Tuchel’s style of play on Tuesday, and it was truly magnificent to watch.
Other than some questionable defending, all the signs were there that England have what it takes to be competing for the World Cup.
England’s focus switches to Ghana
So now, their attention turns to next Tuesday, where they will take on Ghana in Boston. This match will kick off at 4pm local time, which is 9pm in the UK.
The African nation scraped past Panama with a stoppage time winner just hours after England’s victory, but taking on Tuchel’s team will be much tougher.
England will certainly feel that their most difficult fixture of the group stage has already been played, and won.
However, there is no room for complacency in a competition as big as the World Cup, so being ready for any unexpected surprises is essential.
Still, if the manager makes the necessary changes listed above, England should really be winning again, and even more easily than against Croatia.
More Group L News
Best (and Worst) of World Cup Group Stage So Far
Ghana – World Cup preview
England – World Cup preview
