England vs Ghana- 23/06/2026
- Greg Palmer
- 17 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Greg Palmer
England vs Ghana - 23/06/2026
Well, well, well… we appear to have decided the second half vs Croatia was indeed the better football… as that’s clearly how we decided to start against Ghana… the high press… the wing play… Kane on the ball early… dare I say it… we looked rather comfortable!
Well… we did… but in America, apparently we play quarters… it’s no longer a game of two halves…… the resounding ‘Boooos’ echoing around the stadium says it all really… not for the first time this World Cup I might add.
Anyway… I digress…
20 minutes of looking pretty sharp… then it seemed to be…
Cross in
Cleared by Ghana
Cross in
Cleared by Ghana
Cross in
Cleared by Ghana
Complete with both wingers seeming to ‘want’ to run at defenders… but then just passing it back inside…
England still looked in control though, never really facing much threat from the Ghanaian forward line. Just playing very… safe…
I found myself just willing them on… ‘Express yourselves lads!’. It’s like we’re playing ‘ok’ we’re playing ‘pretty good’… but I feel a little more urgency, a little more fire is needed.
The biggest cheer of the game so far, Sir David Beckham on the big screen!
Oh Dear…
Half time… 0-0… (and not a single shot on target…)
I mean… not sure how to start the second half… much like England… who didn’t seem to know how to start?! I’m not sure Tuchel’s half time words were quite so resonant this time!
Still playing safe, although I guess it was a little more direct on the wings, a little more drive going forward… at least Gordon fired a shot on target albeit straight into the keeper’s hands!
Anderson still holding that deep position in front of the back four, Rice going back and forth, Bellingham trying to press as the number 10… the guys in the middle and at the back looking pretty solid.
It’s the forwards… we need ‘something’ different…
And there it is… Saka on for Gordon and we switch Noni over to the left… Arsenal boys on the wings! I wonder if Tuchel wants to just give it a second, before Rashford inevitably comes on for the right winger now playing on the left…
And with a few more changes 4 of our front line are now Arsenal boys!! Kane up top with Noni, Saka, Rice and Eze behind him… (Makes me happy… being a Gooner).
And now Rogers…
I mean… you can’t argue with Tuchel’s approach here… attack, Attack, ATTACK!!
Nice idea in principle… I guess…
And finally, Rashford! (Who should have started for me), can he work some magic I ask myself…
I tell you what though… we started pressing again, and asking questions… a flurry of attacks…
Saka!!! Superb save…
O’Reilly!!! Crashes against the bar…
Kane!!! Skies it from ten yards out!
It feels very much like ‘too little too late’ really… we just weren’t really all there… too safe, too cautious… Ghana set up well, 2, 3 and sometimes 4 players surrounding a single Arsenal attacker… <cough> England attacker…
A frustrating watch… just be brave… show ambition… drive at that defender…
I’m still confident we top the group and make it into the knockouts… but playing like that, against a France… or a Spain, Brazil… would not bode well.
England still in it… frustrating yes… but Tuchel will have learnt a few things from that…
On to the next!
Full Time - England 0-0 Ghana
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