{"id":728346,"date":"2026-06-27T02:09:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T02:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/728346\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T02:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T02:09:16","slug":"thomas-tuchel-takes-aim-at-anthony-gordon-and-marcus-rashford-in-damning-verdict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/728346\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Tuchel takes aim at Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford in damning verdict"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thomas Tuchel has delivered a damning verdict on Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford.<\/a><\/p>\n

And Tuchel has been just as critical of left-backs Nico O\u2019Reilly and Djed Spence in a sensational blast as he admitted the left wing has \u201cnot provided the same quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuchel believed he had solved the problem when Gordon shone in the final warm-up friendly with Costa Rica but said there has not been enough \u201cconnection and penetration\u201d down that flank in either of their first Group matches.<\/p>\n

Three Lions<\/a> boss Tuchel also made it clear that Marcus Rashford<\/a> has not delivered when he has started games but also highlighted the full backs being a real issue which explains why O\u2019Reilly was dropped for Spence against Ghana<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tuchel let rip after being asked about Rashford and whether it was likely he would start against Panama<\/a> – and then delivered a damning indictment on the left flank.<\/p>\n

Tuchel said: \u201cMarcus is in a good place, but when he started he was not as decisive as Anthony, that’s just it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a very good match against Costa Rica with Anthony and the unit, it’s more a unit on the left side than it is individuals or \u2018the winger didn’t do enough.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe unit on the left side hasn’t provided the same quality as they did against Costa Rica. They were so good, I saw the game against Costa Rica and thought: \u2018OK, left side is solved, this unit, they find their link.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Marcus came on the left side, together with Eberechi Eze and Djed Spence, and they did so well. So I thought: \u2018Oh, we have two units. They know what they’re doing and they’re clicking.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt turns out we played the first match and they’re not clicking, I\u2019m not even sure why, but it was not the same amount of connection, not the same amount of penetration, not the same amount of verticality, and this was the same in the second match.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know the reason for it. I still trust all of them, I still trust them to get better. Marcus is just also very good from the bench, and it’s sometimes nice to hold someone back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe struggled to have the same influence for us from the start, and yet from the bench he was always pushing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know many times we spoke about him and you said, \u201cYou trust him so much, but what is the output?\u2019 True, but he tries and he’s there.<\/p>\n

\"Thomas<\/p>\n

Tuchel has been left unimpressed by England’s left flank(Image: Joe Prior\/Visionhaus via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s in a good place. He\u2019s pushing, he’s a candidate to start, but the left side in general, no matter who plays, needs to click a bit more and provide a bit more threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Tuchel admits he has still not found the \u201cperfect recipe\u201d to beat teams at this World Cup. And Tuchel warned it may be test for England to break down another stubborn opponent playing with a low defensive block.<\/p>\n

England were left frustrated by Ghana who held them to a goalless draw which also leaves Tuchel\u2019s men sweating on their place as Group winners.<\/p>\n

They must beat Panama – who are 42 in the FIFA world<\/a> rankings which is 23 places above Ghana – and Tuchel expects another long, potentially frustrating and difficult test at the MetLife Stadium.<\/p>\n

England boss Tuchel said: \u201cIt is just how it is. It is difficult to accelerate the match against these low blocks. You see this in the Champions League<\/a> as well, you see it in the Premier League<\/a>. I saw many matches that looked like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs this one moment of quality and a bit more precision with the crossing. A bit more timing with the crosses, maybe a bit more awareness with the crosses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the moment. This is the half-chance that we want to take. Who is arriving with the cross? Are we arriving aggressively enough with the cross? How can we shoot more from outside the box, have a deflection and force this goal in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t found the recipe where \u2018they do this, then we do this – and then we are fine.\u2019 Maybe I am proven wrong but I don\u2019t think anyone likes to play against Ghana.<\/p>\n

\"Harry<\/p>\n

England struggled to break down Ghana in their second group match<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is basically the learning. The highs should not get too high. The lows should not get too low. I don\u2019t think it was a low.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have experienced matches like this in group stages of the Champions League where you travel to Copenhagen or Leipzig against a good team.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce Ghana came over the halfway line they celebrated like it was a goal. It was like that. They celebrated at the whistle a 0-0 like they had won. We were kind of disappointed and that shows it is just what it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy with the second game. You were not so happy with the second game. We did enough to win the Ghana game and we also had to control their counter attacks. Twice they were dangerous. But it is time to believe and time to keep on going.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will try to find a very active and aggressive approach now against Panama but we cannot just be stupid and naive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will face another deep block in another kind of formation. We now see a back five. For many moments in the match we see a back six, we see a back seven.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other big takeaway after the Ghana game was the beauty of hindsight. The queue of pundits, fans and experts questioning why England did not take Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold<\/a> or a skilled player like Phil Foden<\/a> to break down a stubborn opponent.<\/p>\n

Every fan is guilty of it and if England fail at this World Cup then there will be even more question marks about the squad.<\/p>\n

But actually, Tuchel insists he got a far more insightful text from another famous figure in football. Rather than talking about Palmer, Foden or Alexander-Arnold, it was a warning about Carlos Queiroz when the ex-Manchester United assistant took over as Ghana coach.<\/p>\n

When asked directly about the likes of Palmer, Foden and Alexander-Arnold, Tuchel said: \u201cI cannot engage this after a draw. Spain<\/a> had a draw. Brazil<\/a> had their draw. Portugal<\/a> had their draw.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, we had a message from a very famous colleague, a very well respected colleague, after Ghana changed their coach. He texted us: \u2018Your most difficult game is now the second game, I tell you that.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I have a bit of respect for what we\u2019re playing here, and then we need to trust also our players and respect them. It helps no-one if we question things now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a reflex, things don\u2019t go well and then the guys on the bench are suddenly the winners or the guys at home are the winners. That\u2019s not it. The game needs to be played how it\u2019s played. It played out to be difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey made life very difficult for us. We selected a group from the evidence that we had. It cannot be that you\u2019re not selected as a player and suddenly you will be. This is not how it works. We want to step up in the next game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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