Thomas Tuchel has declared that nothing at the World Cup has scared him and insists England are capable of competing with any team. The head coach remains confident despite a goalless draw with Ghana, and with the group stage nearly complete, he has not seen anything to suggest any opponent is unstoppable.
England Aim for Top Spot in Group L
England face Panama in New Jersey on Saturday evening, needing to match or better Ghana's result against Croatia to secure first place in Group L. A narrow victory could leave them vulnerable on goal difference if Ghana win heavily. Tuchel acknowledged England must improve against low-block defenses but is not worried about physical tactics targeting Jude Bellingham.
“I’m not scared in general,” Tuchel said. “We feel confident enough to be ready and compete on any level. I haven’t seen that much football, to be honest, because the times were always quite early and we’re on the training pitch. Then it’s the afternoon, we’re in the office preparing the next day. I haven’t seen that much football – but I’m not scared. I see, of course, good teams. I see high-quality individual players who decide team matches. I see all kinds. I still see our group as one of the most difficult. This is where we go from. We focus on what we can influence.”
Tuchel Unfazed by Physical Play
Ghana attempted to unsettle Bellingham during a tense first half, but Tuchel is unconcerned. “No fear,” he said. “I didn’t think about this yet. I think sometimes it fuels Jude. He accepts that these moments come and he’s happily engaging in it, because it brings out the edge in him that he needs sometimes. We spoke about it at half-time, to be emotional is part of the game, and we don’t want to play cold like a fridge. We want to play emotional but not get distracted and not be dragged into discussions. It will just help the opponent and the underdog. We did this well. You cannot play without emotion against such physical teams, because otherwise it feels a little bit like you’re in the role of a victim. We want to stand up for each other, protect us and still find a good balance.”
Tuchel Dismisses Criticism Over Squad Selection
Tuchel laughed off suggestions that the draw with Ghana proved he was wrong to omit creative players like Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold. He anticipated a tough game after Ghana appointed Carlos Queiroz as manager in April. “I cannot engage with this after a draw,” he said. “Spain had a draw. Brazil had their draw. Portugal had their draw. Honestly, we had a message from a very famous colleague, a very well-respected colleague, after Ghana changed their coach. He texted us: ‘Your most difficult game is now the second game.’ So I have a bit of respect for what we’re playing here, and then we need to trust also our players. It helps no one if we question now.”
Team News and Injury Concerns
Reece James has been ruled out for at least two games with hamstring tightness, with Ezri Konsa likely to move to right-back. Declan Rice is also a fitness concern; Kobbie Mainoo could replace him in midfield. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford may start on the wings. Tuchel may not be able to rest Bellingham and Harry Kane with the group still alive. If England finish first, they will have four days to prepare for a last-32 match in Atlanta against a third-placed team.
