Paul Merson has rallied behind Thomas Tuchel ahead of England’s clash against Panama, despite their disappointing goalless draw with Ghana in their last match.
The Three Lions have already qualified for the Round of 32, but now need to win their final group game against Panama on Saturday to be assured of top spot.
Despite recording a comprehensive 4-2 win over Croatia in their first match, the second was not straightforward as Ghana held them to a scoreless draw.
“It’s back to reality. You can’t score four in every game, but you’d expect to break them down in the end”, Merson said.
“Ghana defended really well but we made it easier for them to do so. That’s something for Tuchel to look at, but you’re not winning the World Cup in the second game of the tournament.
“It’s better to have those reality checks earlier in the tournament than later on.”
Concerns have been raised since that result over how far Tuchel’s side can go especially without the creativity of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
However, Merson is of the opinion that the manager will deliver despite several difficulties and challenges the team might face.
“We need to have trust in the manager”, Merson continued.
“There are always ups and downs. Croatia took us on and got punished, but Ghana were never going to do that. Panama aren’t going to take us on.
“We’ve got to have more belief. But we didn’t take enough chances, and I thought this team was picked to have no fear.
“I now don’t see him resting too many players against Panama with the group still very much on the line.
“England have to get going again. They need some continuity now after what was a bit of a bump in the road and that means they won’t want to be disrupted by five or six changes”, Merson added.
“They will not want another sloppy performance and will want to go into the last 32 off the back of a confident performance.”
England will conclude their group stage action against Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday night, with Group L’s top spot up for grabs.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
