England's 0-0 draw with Ghana at the FIFA World Cup was far from pretty, but it was analytically revealing — offering the clearest picture yet of both what Thomas Tuchel's system is designed to do and precisely where it falls short.
What Tuchel's England are trying to do
At its core, England under Tuchel are built to invite pressure. The idea is to draw opponents onto them in deeper areas of the pitch, often by recycling possession back to the defenders or goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Even Harry Kane participates in this build-up phase, dropping into holding midfield positions to tempt opposition players into leaving their half. Once those opponents step forward and press, England accelerate — launching direct balls into the runs of attackers operating against fewer defenders.
Centre-backs such as John Stones and Marc Guehi provide the composure in possession needed to execute this trigger, while at Bayern Munich Kane combines this deep role with accurate long passing — a habit he has developed alongside the likes of Luis Diaz. Further forward, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke are all powerful runners capable of exploiting the space this approach creates.
Why England flourished against Croatia
Croatia, under Zlatko Dalic, took the bait entirely. Their press was outnumbered and overrun as Elliot Anderson and Kane dropped deep, enabling England's defenders to find them with ease before the ball was played directly into runners with space to attack.
There is a broader trend at work here too. More teams now defend on the front foot — higher defensive lines, man-to-man pressure — rather than sitting deep and surrendering the ball near their own goal for 90 minutes. Tuchel's England are specifically engineered to punish that approach.
Pride and reputation also played a role. As the 13th-ranked nation in the world, Croatia were unlikely to set up in a deep block. Even if pragmatism would have served them better, the statement it sends can deter higher-ranked sides from using it.
How Ghana neutralised England
Ghana, ranked 64th, had no such reservations. Carlos Queiroz deployed a disciplined 4-5-1 low block and — crucially — his players almost never stepped out of their shape to press. They were acutely aware of England's preferred method of generating chances, so they denied it at the source.
Without opponents willing to press, England were forced to try to manufacture space horizontally. During the first-half hydration break, Tuchel instructed his players to play short combinations on one side before switching the ball quickly to the far-side winger, who would theoretically find himself in a one-against-one situation. It worked in patches, but Ghana's full-backs defended the wide areas with discipline, and England were eventually reduced to attempting crosses into a crowded penalty area.
Much of England's creative output flows through Anderson and Kane. Ghana targeted both with man-marking.
