England's defensive frailties were laid bare in their opening match against Croatia, despite a strong second-half performance. The team's lack of discipline and poor shape without the ball were exposed, with Thomas Tuchel's side struggling to maintain their shape and losing possession in dangerous areas. This was particularly evident in the first half, where Croatia capitalized on England's nervous energy and poor defending to score two exceptional goals from open play. The jitters at the back were set in early, with constant turnovers of possession and a ball lost by Jude Bellingham in midfield leading to Croatia's first goal. The concern for Tuchel is that tournaments are rarely won without a solid defence, and England's current form suggests they may struggle against the very best. The team's set-piece prowess, exemplified by Harry Kane's goals, could not detract from the structural flaws in their defence. The defensive frailties were further exposed in the first half, with John Stones and Nico O'Reilly conceding a corner on the right and being turned too easily by Croatia's forwards. The team's lack of midfield discipline and poor shape without the ball were also a cause for concern, with the spaces between Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice too big. The second half saw a stunning surge from England, with Bellingham making it 3-2 and Dominik Livakovic forcing into a series of saves. However, Croatia had chances to score another before Rashford killed them off, and the overall display was far from good enough. The team's defensive issues were a cause for concern, with Stones and O'Reilly making their debuts at this level and being targeted at left-back and right-back, respectively. The team's lack of midfield discipline and poor shape without the ball were also a cause for concern, with the spaces between Anderson and Rice too big. The concern for Tuchel is that tournaments are rarely won without a solid defence, and England's current form suggests they may struggle against the very best. The team's set-piece prowess, exemplified by Harry Kane's goals, could not detract from the structural flaws in their defence. The defensive frailties were further exposed in the first half, with John Stones and Nico O'Reilly conceding a corner on the right and being turned too easily by Croatia's forwards. The team's lack of midfield discipline and poor shape without the ball were also a cause for concern, with the spaces between Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice too big. The second half saw a stunning surge from England, with Bellingham making it 3-2 and Dominik Livakovic forcing into a series of saves. However, Croatia had chances to score another before Rashford killed them off, and the overall display was far from good enough. The team's defensive issues were a cause for concern, with Stones and O'Reilly making their debuts at this level and being targeted at left-back and right-back, respectively. The team's lack of midfield discipline and poor shape without the ball were also a cause for concern, with the spaces between Anderson and Rice too big. The concern for Tuchel is that tournaments are rarely won without a solid defence, and England's current form suggests they may struggle against the very best. The team's set-piece prowess, exemplified by Harry Kane's goals, could not detract from the structural flaws in their defence. In terms of the options available to Tuchel, it might be wise to bring Marc Guéhi in for Stones against Ghana, as the former Manchester City defender was turned inside out by Ollie Watkins when City lost to Aston Villa last month. A win's a win, but the team's defensive issues are a cause for concern, and the team's set-piece prowess, exemplified by Harry Kane's goals, could not detract from the structural flaws in their defence. The team's defensive issues were a cause for concern, with Stones and O'Reilly making their debuts at this level and being targeted at left-back and right-back, respectively. The team's lack of midfield discipline and poor shape without the ball were also a cause for concern, with the spaces between Anderson and Rice too big. The concern for Tuchel is that tournaments are rarely won without a solid defence, and England's current form suggests they may struggle against the very best. The team's set-piece prowess, exemplified by Harry Kane's goals, could not detract from the structural flaws in their defence. The team's defensive issues were a cause for concern, with Stones and O'Reilly making their debuts at this level and being targeted at left-back and right-back, respectively. The team's lack of midfield discipline and poor shape without the ball were also a cause for concern, with the spaces between Anderson and Rice too big. The concern for Tuchel is that tournaments are rarely won without a solid defence, and England's current form suggests they may struggle against the very best. The team's set-piece prowess, exemplified by Harry Kane's goals, could not detract from the structural flaws in their defence.
