Gary Neville has urged Thomas Tuchel not to overreact after England's goalless draw against Ghana, but said he would make two changes for their final World Cup group game versus Panama. The Three Lions got their tournament off to the perfect start with an impressive 4-2 win over 2018 runners-up Croatia, but were brought back down to earth in a 0-0 stalemate with Ghana.
Neville Calls for Changes on Left Flank
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville argued that England need more invention against a stubborn Panama side. 'All the top teams have to do this,' he said. 'Manchester City under Pep Guardiola have spent probably 90 per cent of their games in the last 10 years camped on the edge of the opposition box.' He added: 'What I think England will do is learn from that game against Ghana – maybe putting more crosses in the box, getting more bodies in the box earlier.'
Neville specifically wants Morgan Rogers to replace Anthony Gordon on the left wing. 'I don't want to pile on Anthony Gordon because he's a really good player. He's had two difficult games, but I didn't think Marcus Rashford should come on. I actually thought it should be Morgan Rogers,' Neville said. 'Rashford and Gordon are explosive for counter-attacking, but if Panama are going to be difficult to break down, you need players with more invention and subtlety. I think that's Rogers or Eze on that left-hand side.'
Left-Back Change Also Recommended
Neville also wants a change at left-back, with Nico O'Reilly coming in for Djed Spence. 'I like Djed Spence, I've got a lot of time for him. I can see he works hard, but I think Nico O'Reilly will probably come back in. So I'd like to see Nico O'Reilly and Morgan Rogers off that left-hand side,' he stated. 'The rest of the team, I'm pretty comfortable leaving it as it is. You shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater just because you couldn't break Ghana down.'
England remain top of Group L and in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages. Tuchel's side face Panama on Saturday, needing a positive result to ensure they finish top of the group. England are aiming to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966, having reached the semi-finals in 2018 and quarter-finals in 2022 under former boss Gareth Southgate.
