Thomas Tuchel has revealed he never considered replacing Harry Kane with Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins during England's goalless draw against Ghana in the World Cup. The Three Lions struggled to break down a stubborn Ghanaian defence that employed a low block and aggressive tactics.
Tuchel's Substitutions
Tuchel introduced Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Marcus Rashford in an attempt to find a breakthrough, but the two out-and-out strikers remained on the bench for the second consecutive match. Ghana's physical approach saw England players like Elliott Anderson and Jude Bellingham frequently on the deck, disrupting any rhythm.
Kane's Role
When asked about keeping Kane on for the full 90 minutes despite a late miss, Tuchel said: "Change Harry Kane in a game that is stuck and 0-0?! Taking Harry off, no?" He added: "Everyone is pushing and I think we had three different goalscorers in the first match and to rely on Harry is just a natural thing because he loves responsibility and he takes it. He was not involved as much as we like to, it was just so, so narrow. Our two central defenders were responsible for the build up and then it was basically eight against 10. It was difficult to find space."
Watkins' Perspective
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who also did not feature against Croatia, spoke before the Ghana match about his role as a substitute. "I think the expectation for me is people don't see me playing, obviously they see Harry playing, but I know what I can bring to the table," he said. "I watch the game when I'm on the bench, I can see the game opens up. It's a completely different game when you start a game of football than when you finish it. I've experienced that as a substitute, there are so many more opportunities when you come on. A lot of people are tired, they lose focus and sometimes it can be better to be a substitute than to start the game."
Looking Ahead
With Panama up next, Tuchel was non-committal about giving Toney or Watkins a chance. "I have no idea. Panama is in four days," he said bluntly.
