Key events
Jacob Steinberg
OK, it’s time to wrap this up now. Thanks for all of your questions – I have to go and catch a flight back to Kansas and find out if England have any right-backs.
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How much improvement is needed for the Mexico game?
WinstonWolfe asks: Will England necessarily need to be “much better” v Mexico or will Mexico’s style of play suit England’s strengths better (speed, rapid transitions)?
Jacob says:
Potentially. If England play on the counterattack it feels like it could be a big game for Anthony Gordon.
How is the mood in the England camp?
stretlad asks: There’s been a load of interviews with players talking about how happy the England camp is. During the game yesterday we saw a lot of bickering between players. How would you describe the mood in the England camp in general?
Jacob says:
Better than it was at Euro 2024, that’s for sure. There was one day during that tournament when some of the journalists played against a team of FA staff (including, er, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink). A load of England players turned up to watch us get battered. Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, Kyle Walker, Ezri Konsa. Kieran Trippier was managing the FA team. I remember thinking they must have been very bored if they were watching a group of tired middle-aged dads play football.
How will England fare at altitude?
aliasboy asks: Have England made any preparations for the altitude of Mexico City?
Knowing the pathway for the group winners, I was surprised they didn’t base themselves somewhere higher in the US such as Albuquerque or Denver.
Jacob says:
Tuchel’s said they can’t prepare. You could get round it by going on the day of the game but tournament rules dictate you have to be in the city two days early. They chose Kansas as a base as it means shorter flights to venues – even though they don’t actually have any games there.
Are we overreacting to England’s performance?
timmuzza1 asks: Do you think the reaction to England’s win has been overly negative? The narrative seems to be England were poor and had a lucky escape, and seems to assume this was an easy game. In fact DRC are a good side that drew with Portugal and a number of good teams have struggled against defensive set ups. England created nearly 3XG and finally got the breakthrough after some good play?
Jacob says:
I agree the DRC were better than people made out but that doesn’t change the fact England were atrocious for 25 minutes and could barely put a pass together. It was a weird game though. England could have been 3-1 up at half-time. Or 2-0 down. They sort of drifted between minutes 50 and 70. I looked at the clock on 73 minutes and thought they were going out. Kane equalised two minutes later. Hopefully this gives them momentum going into Sunday’s game. They have better players than Mexico.
Has the refereeing been substandard?
liverpoolfan asks: Is it just me or has the overall refereeing at the World Cup been sub-standard? By that I mean it no way compares to the standard we are use to in the Premier and Champions Leagues. It is an open brawl on the pitch at times. If things do not change someone is going to be seriously injured and the finger is going to be pointed at Fifa for not enforcing standards.
Jacob says:
I think the decisions in yesterday’s games were poor – no way was that a red card for Balogun in the USMNT game and yes it was a penalty for Kane. On the Balogun “challenge”, I don’t think the VAR knew what he was watching. Where was he meant to put his foot?
Do British players have poor ball control?
Musr63 asks: Hello, Jacob.
I have watched British national teams for many years and since the 1990s I have noticed that British footballers seem to lack the basic levels of ball skills of players from other nations.
Ball control, positional play, passing, use of the weaker foot all seem to be at a lower level than other nations. They seem to have less confidence on the ball and have less time to think. In some cases they seems relieved to get rid of the ball.
Am I making this up?
Jacob says:
No, but it’s getting better.
Is Messi Argentina’s star?
nwall89 asks: Argentina’s players still truly believe that Messi is their star man, and are prepared to cover his lack of defensive work. However, Argentina’s best performance of the last few years was, arguably, their 4-1 win against Brazil in qualifying – without Messi. Is their total reverence to Messi more than that of, for example, Portugal’s players toward Ronaldo, and the main reason for their differing campaigns to this point?
Jacob says:
Messi does more in the game than Ronaldo and always has done. His second goal against Austria comes from him sending someone else through on goal with an amazing pass. Ronaldo just wants to be in the box and it warps how Portugal play, taking away from their strength in midfield. Can anyone put out a better midfield than Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes – and still have Bernardo Silva in reserve?!
hawkeye63 asks: How much of Harry Kane’s match-winning influence last night can be traced back to his transformation into a world-class striker at Carrow Road? Probably enough to justify running a headline today like: ‘Former Norwich City striker rescues lethargic England.’
It’s important we recognise these things, n’est-ce pas?
Jacob says:
Pretty low of you not to mention his Leyton Orient and Millwall stints.
Are suspensions fair?
AnthonyGreendown asks: What’s your opinion on being suspended for an accumulation of cards in short tournaments?
For me, refereeing within the same game is inconsistent (what you might get away with in the 10th minute, you maybe won’t in the 70th), let alone different referees who work in different leagues.
It makes sense in a league season to suspend players for accumulating yellow cards, but in a short tournament, I think the prospect of a second yellow in the same game is enough of a deterrent in combatting foul play.
Jacob says:
Not necessarily. Some players take the tactical yellow card and would do so more if there was no risk of suspension.
LeFacteur asks: Given that Tuchel swapped a 3-5-2-1 formation to win the Champions League (ie. he is not averse to changing things around), would that not be a sensible option at altitude in Mexico City and with a problem at right back?
– Guehi-Stones-Konsa at the back
– O’Reilly and Saka as wing backs
– Anderson and Rice as double pivot
– Gordon and Bellingham playing in behind Kane
– Still get the width from wing backs as required but shores up the right hand side
– Then substitutions allow Mainoo to come in and perhaps Toney or Watkins towards the end.
Jacob says:
He’s never played a back three with England so it would be a big call to do it now. Is O’Reilly a wing-back? He wants to invert a lot. And I’m not sure Saka is in condition to cover an entire flank on his own.
Are elite teams losing their grip?
Keternalsceptic asks: Given some of the results by the so-called “lesser” countries, how much do you assess the gap has closed between them and the traditional elite nations?
Jacob says:
What you’re trying to say is Gianni Infantino is a genius. We’re definitely seeing the gap close. The increase to 48 teams hasn’t actually hurt the quality. Nobody’s looked out of their depth really. Tunisia were poor but are usually in the World Cup so that’s just underperformance. There’s just a bigger spread of talent. Look at DRC – they were massive underdogs but had Premier League players. You’ve also got diaspora players lifting smaller nations. Morocco have a huge talent pool. PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye was born in France but plays for Senegal.
Who should be the next England manager?
DemonBarber asks: Hello Jacob … who do you think the next England manager will/ought to be?
Jacob says:
Mikel Arteta. He tried to switch international allegiance to England when he was a player.
Which less heralded players and teams have stood out?
SullenCullen asks: Hi Jacob. Couple of questions from me, if you don’t mind!
Firstly on England, my biggest concern is the lack of protection the back four get from midfield. Rice and Anderson are a decent combination but it feels like they want to cover every blade of grass and are not always in the best position when the ball is turned over to the opposition. Who could England use (either from the current squad or more generally) as an actual shield for the defence? Someone who knows where to be when play breaks down.
Secondly, not on the subject of England. I’ve had to miss a lot of games owing to the timing of broadcasts in the UK. Which players from less-heralded nations have stood out to you, that I might not have heard of? And what do you think is the best team that didn’t qualify from the group stage?
Thanks – keep up the good work!
Jacob says:
I think with Rice and Anderson it’s more that Rice is struggling physically and it’s leaving Anderson with too much ground to cover. I wrote earlier in the tournament that one option would be to copy Chelsea and use Reece James in midfield but his hamstrings have other ideas. So … I’m out of suggestions now.
As for your second question, a funny thing about actually being at a World Cup is you don’t see enough football. I’m on my sixth flight in the last nine days later, such is life travelling round the US. We spend a lot of time in media centres, waiting to speak to players or managers. On Tuesday I was in the Atlanta Stadium waiting to listen to Tuchel do his pre-match press conference – at the same time as France v Sweden. But we’ve all loved Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper. Watch out for Switzerland’s Johann Manzambi too. Best team not to make it out of the group? Turkey. Which isn’t saying much.
Can we blame Tuchel?
hameau asks: Since Tuchel took over, England have had one good performance (5-0 away to a mediocre Serbia team) and a decent half hour against Croatia in the opening group game. Save for Kane and the occasional flash from Bellingham, the England players look at best very average when compared to the remaining teams in the tournament. We are repeatedly told that the English players are among the best in Europe at club level, but is this not just the case that they look good when surrounded by better, more technical players from other countries? Or is this Tuchel’s fault? Is it time for a reassessment of the criticism that Southgate received at the end of his tenure, which appears to be an aberration based on any historical view of England’s performances at major tournaments over the past 60 years?
Jacob says:
Justice for Gareth. I think you’re right. England don’t have a Ballon d’Or winner in their team, do they? Kane is incredible, up there with Mbappe and Haaland, and Bellingham is brilliant, but the great swell of talent we often hear about isn’t really there. So much is made of Foden but he’s gone off the boil and has never done it for England. Palmer? He’d get into any squad in the world but has gone off the boil. Eze isn’t always in the Arsenal team and Rogers is a good player but not one of the very best. Saka is injured.
The left sided players have been up and down. One of our midfielders has spent the last two seasons at Nottingham Forest and has little Champions League experience. The defence is iffy. The goalkeeper plays for Everton. You can’t really blame Tuchel for any of this. I think Southgate had a better hand to play. He changed the culture but should have won Euro 2020. I think his England were at their strongest at the 2022 World Cup and in the first half of 2023 though. International football is so often about timing. England probably win the Euros if they’re played in the summer of 2023.
Have Brazil gone downhill?
bruirn asks: Why in World Cups in living memory (this century) did Brazil have players of the calibre of the Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, etc while this time Vini Jr is the only one who is truly excellent, and they’ve got players from the likes of Brentford playing for them?
In fact, apart from Mbappe, Kane, Olise and Yamal, where are the superstars that each nation boasted back in the day. No wonder Ronaldo (Portugal version), Messi and Modric are still having to lace up their boots?
Does modern football not reward flair players anymore now everyone’s playing PepBall or has the Matrix simply grown tired of creating new characters? Have we collectively forgotten to buy the latest version of FIFA Football?
Jacob says:
Hang on, how about Ousmane Dembele, the holder of the Ballon d’Or? Or the PSG whizzkids Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue? And have you seen Haaland at this World Cup? He’s been incredible!
Is depending on strikers a big deal?
DukeApricot asks: Is it fair that journalists are always pointing out how England depends on Harry or Jude? Of course we do, they are world-class players!
Jacob says:
Every team has its stars and England are no different but it’s more that Harry and Jude are currently covering up wider dysfunction. It’s not the same as Argentina and Messi. Argentina are working to service Messi but they don’t look a shambles without the ball.
Will the England team need earplugs?
SanPortablo asks: Has there been any hint from the England camp about when they are traveling to Mexico City or whether they are taking earplugs? Should they eat lasagna or do a spot of jewellery shopping when they get there?
Jacob says:
England have to travel on Friday. Point of order: the jewellery shopping you refer to in 1970 happened in Bogota, not Mexico!
Why are England players struggling to bring their club form?
maisqui asks: Hello Jacob. It appears to me that English players are increasingly struggling to bring their club form, or any type of decent play together form to the national squad, which begs a myriad of further questions, whereas other teams do not seem to suffer so much from. Any thoughts on this?
Jacob says:
At Euro 2024 Harry Kane was clearly playing below full fitness. At this World Cup it’s Declan Rice, Reece James and Bukayo Saka… the right side has been decimated by injuries. Tuchel was always worried about fatigue. The Premier League is the most physical in the world and it seems it’s caught out England again. Look at Cole Palmer. A year ago he ran riot in New York. 12 months on he’s spent most of the season injured and can’t get in a 26-man squad. I’m pretty sure Palmer simply would have been another struggling to stay fit if he’d been picked by Tuchel. Hopefully he benefits from a rare rest. The schedule is crazy.
Who has the best tactics?
Laingeth asks: Hi, I have a question; how did you manage to stay awake through this game? Ok my real question: which team – domestic or international – has the best tactics to defeat a low block? Did Tuchel’s selection go against that approach or with it?
Jacob says:
It was midday in Atlanta, how tired do you think I am? Best tactics against a low block? PSG. I don’t think England play like PSG.
Are hydration breaks really about hydration?
Stookymi asks: Infantino claims the hydration breaks have been introduced with player safety in mind but how much has FIFA earned in advertising revenue from these breaks alone?
Jacob says:
Look, England would be out of the World Cup if it weren’t for the hydro breaks. More hydro breaks for Thomas Tuchel please. One every five minutes in fact.
How will Mexico approach Sunday’s game?
nwake3 asks: How do you think Mexico will approach Sunday’s game? Low-block or all-out? Will they play to win?
Jacob says:
Unlike Thomas Tuchel I was awake for the Mexico v Ecuador game and expect Mexico to be all out again.
Why were England so vulnerable on the far post from open play?
FukuokaKyushu asks: Why were England so vulnerable on the far post from open play? The wide midfielders seemed to be instructed not to track back and the defenders were always outnumbered – it seemed an obvious flaw to be exploited by a team capable of fast ball movement, especially on the counter.
Jacob says:
I think Madueke was staying high and with Masuaku, the DRC left-back. My reading of the goal is Sadiki confuses the defence by running from midfield. Konsa should take him, he doesn’t, Spence gets dragged over and that creates the overload. It wasn’t really that complicated. If Konsa takes Sadiki then Spence can stay with Cipenga. I think.
Why do England start so slowly and with the wrong tactics?
Chymist asks: Why do England start so slowly and with the wrong tactics? Is Tuchel really very strategically naive or are the England players just not very good and need time to get to know each other in every match?
Jacob says:
Good question. That was the sixth consecutive knockout game in which England have conceded the first goal, going back to the France quarter-final in 2022. So this is something that’s happened under two different managers, suggesting it’s as much down to mentality as tactics.
How much are we missing Maguire?
Hottrotters asks: How much are we missing Maguire, both in defence and at set pieces?
Jacob says:
I think you only need to look at Maguire’s reaction to being left out of the squad to see why he isn’t here.
What’s the main problem with England’s defence?
cjsavory asks: Is the main problem with England’s defence right now the ability level of the players, the lack of game time they’ve had together, the structure in which they’ve been set up, their communication skills, or all of the above?
Jacob says:
It’s all a far cry from the Gareth Southgate defence of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, John Stones and Kyle Walker, with Kieran Trippier in reserve. Stones is still around but is ageing and the replacements don’t look up to scratch. I love Nico O’Reilly but even he’s said his future position is in midfield. Then you’ve got the injuries, which don’t help. Reece James is a top player but the hamstring problem isn’t a surprise.
Will Tuchel prioritise connections on the flanks?
Alexkemp10 asks: Tuchel has spoken a lot about the importance of connections on the flanks. Do you see him prioritising that maybe with Rice at RB given the understanding with Saka? And do you think we‘ll be less adventurous in the press against Mexico given the altitude?
Jacob says:
I think the best way for England to handle this game would to play with a low block. Embrace their inner Arsenal. Spoil, irritate, silence the crowd, win it with a set-piece. They don’t look geared to play an open game in these conditions. The best thing to do would be to force Mexico to seize the initiative. Make them anxious. Put them under pressure.
Why no John Stones?
maccamacmac asks: Why isn’t John Stones playing?
Jacob says:
I think it’s pretty telling that Tuchel’s reaction to losing Tino Livramento at right-back was to bring in a sixth centre-back in Trevoh Chalobah. That was after seeing Stones play in the warm-up games against New Zealand and Costa Rica. Stones played five games for Man City after Christmas. If he’s off the pace it isn’t surprising. But he might be needed against Mexico.
Should Tuchel start with Rice at right-back?
Jim4Fish asks: Is it just me or should Tuchel start with Rice at right-back? I think he stumbled on the perfect solution to this problem. Rice can defend, Rice is quick but also reads the game extremely well. His interceptions get us moving forward. He can distribute the ball like Trent. He teams up with his Arsenal mates on the right. Eze did well. I think starting with this formation gets us off to a flying start. Spence’s goose is cooked. And what about Mainoo? Surely he needs to play at some point. I’m not impressed by Anderson, vastly over rated and flatters to deceive. What’s he actually brought to this team? Frequently out of position. I think he might be an AI. Rooney was spot on saying that this game gives Tuchel some answers. This was cryptic from Rooney but I think he was alluding to Rice at right back, and starting with Saka. Madueke looks flash but he’s limited in scope. Too easy to defend against.
Jacob says:
Maybe, but do you remember how Arsenal struggled when Rice went out of midfield and to right-back after Ben White got injured against West Ham in May? Also with Rice looking weary and feeling a hamstring issue would he be able to take on Julian Quinones? And if you take him out of midfield who plays? Tuchel clearly doesn’t trust Mainoo. The Azteca doesn’t seem the moment to throw in Jordan Henderson. And it didn’t work from a defensive perspective when Jude Bellingham played deeper against Panama.
What’s Tuchel thinking on full-backs?
harveyj asks: What’s the thinking on the full-backs at the moment? Partly it’s about player selection, but options are limited by injury, is Tuchel considering a tactical tweak or just deliver the existing plan better?
Jacob says:
The right-back position is one of the biggest problems in the England team. Djed Spence was pretty much last man standing against the DRC but didn’t have a good game. One option against Mexico would be to use Declan Rice there after he moved back and made an impact in the latter stages on Tuesday but can England really play without him in midfield? I don’t think so. There’s some hope that Reece James returns against Mexico but will he be ready for the altitude? Perhaps it will have to be Ezri Konsa at right-back, with John Stones starting in central defence. But Stones hasn’t started since struggling in the opening game. None of this is ideal.
Welcome to the Conversation
After 70 minutes of agony, and 10 minutes of Harry Kane inevitability, England fans were finally able to relax at the final whistle of their team’s 2-1 win against DR Congo in Atlanta yesterday. As Thomas Tuchel’s team prepare to head to Mexico City for the daunting task of playing the co-hosts in the Azteca, England correspondent Jacob Steinberg joins us now to answer your questions.
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