England performance ‘a brutal reality check’published at 07:31 BST
07:31 BST
England 0-0 Ghana
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Boston Stadium
Image source, Getty Images
Head coach Thomas Tuchel claimed England’s thrilling opening World Cup win against Croatia would have excited “fans in pubs”. The dismal follow-up against Ghana would have sobered them up instantly.
The manner in which England dismantled Croatia raised expectation and excitement levels, but this was a brutal reality check as Ghana’s resilience, physicality and organisation built an insurmountable barrier.
England are leading Group L and set to qualify for the last 32 – and Declan Rice echoed the post-match mood of “no panic” in the camp when he told BBC Sport: “We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama, so positivity all round.”
Not quite all round given the Three Lions’ lack of creativity in the face of Ghana’s durability – but Tuchel’s side still remain in a healthy position.
If the victory against Croatia made watching England fun, this was back to the grindstone where they were forced to do the dirty work, but could not break through.