England’s World Cup journey began with a convincing 4-2 victory against Croatia and it was all because of Thomas Tuchel.
A Harry Kane brace, Jude Bellingham strike and Marcus Rashford goal ensured it was a winning start for the Three Lions, who have set themselves up well for the rest of the tournament.
Tuchel became the first foreign England manager to win his first game at an international tournament and there was one key decision that made that become a reality.
A winning start for England against Croatia 🙌 What did you make of that performance?
Thomas Tuchel’s full-back alteration changed the game for England
From an attacking perspective it was a near faultless performance for the Three Lions but there were some reservations about the defensive display.
The England boss clearly changed the tactics in the second half by getting the full-backs to operate in a different way.
Both Nico O’Reilly and Reece James like to get forward but that was leaving space for the Croatia attack to pile on the pressure in the centre on Ezri Konsa and John Stones.
Which England star stood out for you against Croatia? ⭐
Some very impressive performances
James seemed to hold back a lot more after the break, allowing O’Reilly to get forward more often, a role he is used to.
While the Manchester City star did that, James would tuck in and offer more support defensively to stop his side being hit on the counter-attack.
Added on top of that, his substitutions came at perfect moments and as far as starts go, they don’t get much better than that.
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