The flaw in England's World Cup plan is now evident after draw with Ghana

Thomas Tuchel was just inches away from having two wins in two games; two matches, two substitutes who scored. Even when Nico O’Reilly’s header hit the post, the rebound fell favorably to Harry Kane. "Ninety-nine times out of a hundred," Tuchel argued, Kane would score. And if that were the case, the coach could be seen as a catalyst with his changes. Instead, Kane sent the ball wide.

So far, England have only one goal from a substitute in this World Cup; a goal that could be significant as Marcus Rashford's late goal against Croatia was decisive. However, while Ghana neutralized England, however narrow the margins were, it raised questions about Tuchel's strategy when it came to providing strength from the bench.

German planning can follow the same pattern, with similar substitutions. On the left, Anthony Gordon and Rashford share many characteristics, and the Manchester United player's introduction in place of the speedy Merseysider worked well against Croatia. On the right side, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke even play for the same club, with the 2025 signing being an option under the shadow of Arsenal's homegrown talent for Mikel Arteta and presumably doing the same on international duty once the brighter star is fit to start.

Jude Bellingham hugs Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers after being replaced (Getty) Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are friends and come from the Midlands. The Aston Villa player may not have the talent of the Real Madrid player, but Bellingham's path back into the team has apparently been to emulate Rogers' role as the number 10 in the autumn.

As for the reserve strikers, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney may not be Kane clones, but they probably won't be seen anyway. "Does Argentina depend too much on Lionel Messi and France on Kylian Mbappé?" Tuchel asked rhetorically. "It's normal. They are world-class players and they do what they do."

But the flaw in the formula can occur when England are not winning; When Plan A isn't working, Plan B is to offer more of the same, just with new faces and fresher legs? Tuchel chose to omit players with other skills. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer could be called mavericks, or simply players whose poor seasons did not justify selection. Each is true - although Morgan Gibbs-White, with his 15 Premier League goals, has every right to feel his recent efforts deserved a place - but Foden and Palmer remain two of English football's greatest talents.

The Chelsea player's ability as an impactful substitute was demonstrated at Euro 2024, albeit after a glorious season at club level. But he came on to score in the final, and that in itself offered a compelling reason to be called up.

Tuchel didn't want to fill his team with number 10s; many could be a distraction and would certainly bring more questions about anyone who was marginalized. But the spot for the third potential number 10 that could have gone to Foden or Palmer instead went to Eberechi Eze; great player, but certainly less capable of making a difference at elite level.


And the expansion to 26-player rosters should leave room for a wild card; however,England came closest to having one with just O’Reilly, the converted left-back who is a highly unusual defender.

His problems were partly personnel, partly tactical. "I don't think we've become predictable with extremes," Tuchel insisted, despite evidence to the contrary. But the logic was to have someone attached to the touchline on each flank. This explains why Palmer, more of an inside forward, is not the type of player he looks for on the wings.

When Tuchel talked about England having "repetitive attacks", that was part of the problem. They lacked the ability to shift emphasis. They attacked little in the middle; another central creator could have unlocked Ghana's stubborn defense.

It is unclear whether Eberechi Eze can be a decisive player at the highest level (Reuters) Tuchel chose to leave out the closest player England has to a pure creator, Adam Wharton, in favor of Jordan Henderson and Kobbie Mainoo. He left out twice – once in his initial call-up, then when Tino Livramento withdrew – the most inventive right-back at his disposal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, eventually opting for Trevoh Chalobah.

So he chose a group with a common purpose and shared strengths. This made the second team look the same as the first, only worse.

It wasn't the approach some of his colleagues took. England have many talented strikers. Just like France, but in Rayan Cherki and Jean-Philippe Mateta, Didier Deschamps seemed to deliberately bring in two who didn't look like the starters.

In contrast, Tuchel seemed to want a menu of the same. And against Ghana, England perhaps could have benefited from a penetrating pass from Wharton, a devilish cross from Alexander-Arnold or, most pointedly, a long-range shot from Palmer.

When they looked at the bank, they needed an element of surprise. But the men who could have provided this were left out of the cast.

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