Paul Merson thinks England boss Thomas Tuchel has a bit of a midfield headache after Jude Bellingham’s excellent performance in a deeper role in the 2-0 win over Panama.
Bellingham lined up alongside Elliot Anderson and grabbed a goal and an assist in an all-action midfield display, leaving Tuchel with plenty to think about ahead of the Three Lions’ last 32 clash with DR Congo on Wednesday.
But with Declan Rice expected to come back into England’s starting XI, Merson believes Tuchel has a dilemma over how he constructs his midfield as the knockout stages get under way.
Read on for former England international Merson’s thoughts in full…
Will Tuchel keep Bellingham in a deeper role?
Bellingham in action for England against Panama
Thomas Tuchel now has a major problem after Jude Bellingham’s performance in a deeper role against Panama.
Bellingham really impressed for me, but that is where Declan Rice plays and if fit, he plays.
But the plus for England having Bellingham in that role is that it is so much harder for the opposition to pick him up when he’s coming from deeper.
Morgan Rogers really struggled in the No 10 role. He hardly touched the ball, just like Bellingham struggled to have an impact against Ghana, who also sat deep to defend.
It’s just so congested in that area of the pitch, but as a deeper midfielder you can make runs past the opposition easier and it is so much harder for them to pick up.
Bellingham ranks first among England players across a raft of key metrics
So what does Tuchel do? Rice plays. There is no doubt about that for me.
You have to look at the all-round picture. No disrespect to Panama, but when we come up against the bigger teams, you’ll need Rice.
Could you pair Bellingham with Rice? That might be tough on Elliot Anderson, but I think the problem then is what do you do in the No 10 position? Rogers didn’t exactly have the game of his life against Panama, but Bellingham also wasn’t at his best against Ghana.
We need to address how we are going to get the ball into whoever plays in the No 10 position so that they can impact the game.
‘England have got to work out how to get the ball into Bellingham’
Jude Bellingham starred in a deeper role for England against Panama
I wasn’t surprised by Bellingham’s performance in that deeper role.
He’s a top player. He wants to be on the ball, and he wants to be involved in everything. He plays the game like an enthusiastic school kid.
It reminds me of Wayne Rooney. They want the ball, and they want to have an impact all over the pitch.
Bellingham has got more chance of getting the ball in the position he played against Panama rather than the one he played against Ghana.
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Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett reflects on England’s 2-0 win over Panama at the World Cup
The key for England is trying to get whoever is playing in the No 8 and No 10 positions on the ball.
Against Ghana, Bellingham was showing all the time but no-one was getting him the ball.
I’m not comparing Bellingham to Lionel Messi, but if you watch Messi, Argentina give him the ball whenever they can. They pass to him in tight spaces and Bellingham is not afraid to do the same, but England need to build the confidence to be able to give it to him whenever they can.
It’s going to be tricky for Bellingham to back to the No 10 position, if that is what Tuchel decides to do. DR Congo are going to sit deep, too, with 10 behind the ball.
‘England don’t have to have hit their peak yet’
Harry Kane and Bellingham scored as England finally shook off Panama to top their World Cup group
Every time the England players are getting on the ball they have two or even three defenders around them.
We are moving the ball quickly to get it out to the wide players but they are doubled up on every time.
Marcus Rashford had the ball a lot in the first half against Panama but didn’t really do much. We were all calling for him to start ahead of Anthony Gordon but there was no end product.
Bukayo Saka looks as if he is struggling a little, but I think he has to play.
He might be carrying a little niggle, we don’t really know, but I just can’t see a world where Saka is not starting for England in the big games as we progress in this tournament.
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Kaveh Solhekol says Harry Kane should be a contender for the coveted Ballon d’Or after becoming England’s greatest World Cup goalscorer on top of an impressive season with Bayern Munich
This is where the tournament starts really. You don’t have to have hit your peak yet.
I like the fact England aren’t relying on just one player in this tournament. Harry Kane has got his goals, the defence was okay against Ghana and Jude Bellingham stepped up against Panama.
That’s what you need. We cannot just keep waiting on Kane to deliver.
We have four wingers in the squad and I think it’s a good thing that none of them have really got going. They are yet to really get going but if that can change as we reach and go into the knockout rounds, that can only be a positive for Tuchel.
The wingers have been a six out of 10 so far, so if they can get themselves up a few marks England will have a good chance of going quite far. They may just be the match winners as we develop into this tournament.
‘England will have to get better but they have World Cup chance’
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Thomas Tuchel reflects on England’s 2-0 win over Panama, which sealed their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup as group winners
England will have to get better.
There is something in improving when you are playing against better teams, but the concern is you just can’t turn it on and off like a tap.
You have to keep building and get better match by match. That’s what I want to see now, starting against DR Congo.
I think they’ve been a seven out of 10 so far from what I saw in the group stage. We did what we needed to do against Croatia, Ghana and Panama. We’ll need more but it’s a good start.
France going forward are phenomenal, Spain are Spain but I don’t think they will blow you away. They leave you in the game. I really liked Colombia when I watched them against Portugal. They played with a lot of pace and energy and they know the conditions well.
It’s a very open World Cup, in my opinion. A lot of teams have players that can hurt you on any given day. If you have a good day, you have a chance, and that’s what I love about the World Cup.
Whatever happens, you’ve got to beat some really good teams to win.
There’s a lot still to play for in terms of England. Yes, we’ve had the reality checks against Ghana and – I also think – against Panama. That’s a worry.
But while we are in this tournament, we have a chance to win it. Now’s the time to reproduce what we saw against Croatia – and if we do, we have a chance. It’s the hope that really does get to you.
