Tuchel's England is opposite to Southgate's - and is built to beat top teams

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Thomas Tuchel's side laboured against Ghana's low block Football tactics correspondentPublished28 minutes agoWe should begin this article by saying in England's 0-0 draw with Ghana, Carlos Queiroz's men played extremely well, committing to their approach with great intensity. They successfully executed Queiroz's tactics, which nullified key elements of the system England coach Thomas Tuchel has adopted for this World Cup. What Tuchel has said - as well as the squad he has picked and England's performances in the US and before the tournament - suggest the German is unlikely to change his plan despite the Boston stalemate. So why did England look so bright against Croatia but get stuck against Ghana? And why might Tuchel not be that worried by the performance and result in England's second game of the tournament? No need to panic for England - but this was a reality check Published10 hours agoEngland held to goalless draw by Ghana Published13 hours agoWhat are Tuchel's England trying to do? At its core, this England side looks to entice pressure. This can be across the pitch, but Tuchel's men mainly aim to draw opponents on to them in deeper parts of the field. They often do this by passing the ball back to the defenders or goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England will commit numerous players to this initial build-up phase, including striker Harry Kane, who drops into holding midfield positions to provoke the opposition into leaving their half. When their opponents do step forward, England look to accelerate play, aiming directly for attackers who are running in behind and are facing fewer defenders. The "14 or 15 starters" that Tuchel has talked of are players that exactly suit this idea. Centre-backs such as John Stones and Marc Guehi are comfortable in possession in order to draw pressure, while for Bayern Munich Kane drops deep and launches accurate long passes for team-mate Luis Diaz. Further forward, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are all powerful runners capable of attacking into space against fewer defenders. Simply put, England aim to pull defences out of their shape in order to exploit the space this creates. Image caption, England's third goal against Croatia encapsulates many of their principles under Tuchel: short build-up play to attract the press, combination play in triangles out wide, and direct passes for runners in-behind England flourished against Croatia because Zlatko Dalic's side took the bait and pressed from the front. In attempting to do so, their pressing unit was outnumbered and outplayed. As Elliot Anderson and Kane dropped deep, England's defenders found them with ease. They then played in a direct manner into their runners, who had space against isolated Croatia defenders. Trends from club level have carried into international football, with more teams defending in a front-foot manner. It is not uncommon to see higher defensive lines and man-to-man pressure, with teams preferring not to give high-level opposition the majority of the ball close to their goal for 90 minutes. This England squad is built to exploit that trend. As the 13th-ranked nation in the world, there might also have been a level of pride for Croatia. Setting up in a deep block is not what such a big team's players or fans expect. Even if a more pragmatic game plan would benefit some of the 'stronger' nations, the message using that tactic sends out might well deter a country like Croatia using it. Image caption, Croatia's forward players step up but nobody tracks Kane deep. The team gets stretched vertically with a high forward line and a deep back line. Kane then plays a long pass looking for Bellingham, Gordon or Madueke, who are three against three in the opponent's half Ghana, coming into the tournament in poorer form, do not have these concerns. Ranked 64th in the world, there was no shame in Queiroz's decision to employ a 4-5-1 low block against fourth-ranked England. Both fans and players are likely to have been on-board with this. And Ghana's tactics were ideal for more reasons than just their shape. Teams tasked with playing in a more defensive manner often still look to step up the pitch, picking their moments to press. Ghana rarely did this. Aware of England's favoured method of creating chances - fast attacks after enticing pressure - Ghana consciously refused to step out of their defensive shape, leaving little space in behind for England to target. Image caption, Ghana defended in a 4-5-1 block and were conscious not to press too readily. England's defenders ended up taking a large number of touches, with Queiroz's side focusing on blocking space and passing lanes England did still try to entice pressure before playing into open space but this was done horizontally instead of vertically. During the first-half hydration break, Tuchel instructed his players to play "short

Tuchel's England is opposite to Southgate's - and is built to beat top teams

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Tuchel's England is opposite to Southgate's - and is built to beat top teams

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