World Cup: England stall against Ghana – 5 Live Reaction

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1:06Discover the V-Series lineup at cadillac.com. At the People World Cup 2026, the Football Daily Podcasts with Mark Chapman. And there is the final whistle and Carlos Quiroz and everyone from Ghana down there, after its fist raised, celebrations for Ghana, after a 0-0 draw against England, and disappointment for all of these England fans who were hoping they were going to see England pick up from where they left off, but it's been an exercise in frustration here in the new England Patriots stadium. 0-0, and now England and Ghana, four points in the group, And England not quite through just yet. No, England found it very difficult to play against the low block.

2:00That's a team that came with only one ambition, and that was to keep a clean sheet and try and nick a draw from this game. We've seen the way that they played before, and England really did struggle against this low block. They dominated in every category, possession, territory, passes, even opportunities on goal which were few and far between for both sides. There wasn't a lot wrong with Thomas Tuchel's side's performance, in possession, it was in the final third that they lacked. They didn't move the ball quick enough, they didn't create enough and they found it very difficult. Croatia are a better side, they're ranked in the top ten, they brought two medals home from the last two World Cups.

2:33They came to beat England, Croatia, they came to play, they went to go toe-to-toe. England found it very difficult to play against a lesser team who all they wanted to do was kill the game and England didn't have answers today. Handshakes all round out on the pitch, very different to the Dallas Cowboys stadium in England's first match so four points apiece as I say it's not confirmed they're through yet almost certainly four points will be enough to take their place in the knockout stages but that is all to be confirmed after England nil, Ghana nil and Mark Chapman is here with us inside the stadium and there are real scenes of joy from the Ghanaian supporters here most of them clad in yellow shirts hugging each other hugging anybody that's in the vicinity as well, very happy with their point as the Ghanaian bench were and I know you said there at the end they came here to stifle England and play for the point, well you would say and we've got plenty of time to reflect on England's performance Paul they had two or three breaks in that second half where they could have nicked more it's exactly the way they played against Panama and that's what we said about them before the game, we knew how they were going to play and yes it's not an attractive style of football to watch but it's certainly an effective style of football and it's a style of football that the coach has chosen to employ and what he's got there is a buy-in from every single player to a man, everybody stuck to their task every single one of them, like we say, put a shift in nobody left their post as such everyone stayed on point the whole time and as a team, as individuals and as a unit, all of the above they were excellent at what they wanted to do Yes, their game plan was very different to England's, but it was a game plan that the coach had laid out to get something from a game that he knew was going to be very difficult for them.

4:24They didn't give up much, did they, Garner, Steph Horton? I mean, England maybe had a couple of headers. There was the Bakayo Saka shot. Obviously, Harry Kane putting the ball over the bar towards the end. But you've got to give credit to how they defended as they all congregate at the moment. Players, backroom staff in a big circle in the middle of that centre circle. They do deserve, and in fact, the goalkeeper Asari has been brought into the middle of that group and he is on his knees offering a prayer, but he was excellent as well. Yeah, he really was. No, I don't think we can take anything away from Ghana.

5:02I think Paul really said it there in terms of what they did today is what they wanted to do, but I think sometimes Chappers, you can get teams that play in that 4-5-1 formation are quite passive. I felt as though Ghana were really really aggressive and I think that's what England struggled with I think we needed to up the intensity but Ghana to a man really really did their jobs really really well and even when we were putting crosses in the box Ghana were just first to absolutely everything and really stifled England and of course the hydration breaks the little bits of injuries that when Ghana players went down it really kind of disrupted our rhythm but I don't feel as though we played anywhere near what we can do against this Ghana side and just look here some of the stats Phil Jagielke you know England had nearly 80 % possession there 19 shots but only 3 of them were on target yeah and they were towards the end of the game as well so I think you know just to echo what everyone else is saying Garner came with a game plan they've basically played their perfect game they had what 2 counter attacks potentially could have had a penalty if you look at the challenge from Conte they could have walked away they were probably closer to getting 3 points than actually we were and you know Just talk me through that because I haven't actually seen a replay of that.

6:15We didn't see that in the stadium. But I have had a couple of messages from people back home going, that could very easily have been a penalty. So could it? Yeah, well, to be honest, he makes a challenge. And if it's the opposite way around, 100 % we are asking for a penalty. So it's one of those. I think we spoke about the Pickford incident, obviously when he's come out and he's ended up getting tackled and we won the free kick. I'd say we're fortunate the way that event went. and I would also say we're very, very fortunate with the way that the referee and his officials interpreted the tackle from Konza.

6:50So, again, Garner came, they've played to their game plan, they'll be absolutely delighted, they basically were really hard to beat, as Steph said, sometimes a team can turn up, go 4-5-1 and just sit there and not do a thing, but these came, they made tackles, they won headers, obviously not too much in the first half, but a couple of opportunities in the second half and it was a perfect game plan for them. The only positive for us is four points. You'd imagine we'd do OK against Panama and I can't imagine maybe the next round where we're going to get a team that would be so negative and be happy being so negative for the rest of the tournament.

7:25So hopefully, at least from a fan's perspective, we'll get a few more Croatia games rather than we do any more Ghanaian games. No, but I am guessing as Ghana continue to celebrate, the players have got their flag as they walk off, the Ghana fans who are behind the goal away to our right have very much stayed the England fans away to our left applauded the England players who went over to applaud them and they have thinned out a lot more than the Ghana fans at the moment who continue to celebrate and not many empty seats in there and not many people have left from the Ghana fans at the moment Carlos Kiroz still stands in his technical area at the moment just assessing the atmosphere and just assessing the players.

8:07I'm sure he'll head to be interviewed very surely. But whilst there may not be, I suppose, a side like Garner who will defend in that same way with not that much willingness to go forward as England go into the knockout stages, they have shown maybe how you can negate England a little bit and hit them on the break. Yeah, they really stifled us, to be honest, Chappers, and I think that's something that you'd rather have happened early on in the group stages and until we get to the latter round, you don't want that to be happening so now it's all about solving problems and creating that relationship to be able to create more chances because look, I think we want our best players to be involved in the game as much as possible.

8:53Was Harry Kane as much an influence in this game as he was against Croatia? Probably not, so how do we get involved in the game and how do we have full-backs and wingers being able to have that relationship to cause problems for full-backs and centre-halves? I think it's a learning curve of course a point to point, we sit top of the group it's a great position to be in but I think especially the standard we set against Croatia I think everybody might be a little bit disappointed but look I think we're in that position that we're in at the moment and I think for me sooner to be having this experience of being able to maybe not break down that low block and take it into the latter rounds and know what we can do better next time Alan Shearer said on television Paul Robertson not a disaster, but it is absolutely a reality check.

9:38Yeah, I couldn't agree more. It's not a disaster because England will get out of the group and likelihood is that they'll beat Panama and they'll top the group and they'll go through as group winners as we expect. But I think that type of performance, it does act as a reality check. It'll be interesting to hear the interviews that we'll have coming in shortly and to see what the players say. I think they were very level after the Croatia game. I think it'll be pretty much the same coming from them. As I say, the result's not a disaster. If they got beaten, that was a disaster. but actually a point in the grander scale of things it will probably allow England to progress through the tournament.

10:09We will bring you reaction when we get it. I think Declan Rice may have spoken so when we get Declan Rice we'll do that. We'll obviously hear from Thomas Tuchel as well and any other England players that come out and speak. Do you pay any attention? Is it just a quirk, Phil Jagielka, that now we are on the fourth tournament in a row where England have played their second group match and not won it? again it depends which way you want to look at things the fact of the matter is which way do you want to look at it? I'll be positive we're top of the group four points basically I expect to win the next game go as group leaders hopefully fit healthy squad as Steph said a little bit of a a reality check maybe there is a bit of an element of problem solving we weren't getting carried away as it was well I don't think the players and staff were maybe the whole nation was as we always do when we win a game but as I say I think it's a little reality check not an amazing performance not a bad performance by any stretch we have still things to work on we know we're not the complete package that's why we've come to this tournament as maybe one of the favourites but not the favourites for the tournament so we have stuff to work on

11:18as much as I was bored watching the game I'm still quite happy as an England fan But it was a big thing in camp this week Steph wasn't it? We were told, John Murray told us earlier Harry Kane had spoken to the squad about the importance of this second game? Yeah, I mean, look, I think because we've experienced that, but then you look back at the tournaments that we finished second, we've not really got the win that we wanted to in the second game. But look, we've gone so far in the last couple of tournaments that it's not about panic stations now, of course. Yeah, it would have been nice to have wrapped up the top of the group tonight and then maybe rotated a few players in the Panama game, but it's just not meant to be.

11:59And Chapman's were at World Cup here, and I just don't want to disrespect Ghana because tonight they were really, really good at what they did and they made it really, really hard for England to create the chances that we normally did if we had that little bit more space. The Athletic do a really good thing on their app or on their website, which is called The Bracket, which if you subscribe to The Athletic or have access to it, it's well worth looking at because it has the percentage chances of where each team... And it's not done like Opta. well the Optus supercomputer it's just looking at the combinations of how the group stands and therefore what the percentages are of where teams might find themselves so as group L runner-up which is England's group it still has Ghana and Croatia both just over 40 % chance of finishing runner-up in that group which will put them playing in Toronto on the 2nd of July which means if you go over to the other side of the draw it still has England at an 87 % chance of winning that group because I mean the big thing in all of that is that England have to play Panama last yeah but it's going to be a different type of game now for for Thomas Tuchel because that Panama game I'm sure he will have wanted to go into that knowing that he topped the group knowing that he'd qualified and was able to make changes but he's not necessarily going to be able to play the 11 that he wanted to from the start.

13:25He's certainly got some thinking to do between now and then on his team selection because now it's a game that they have to go. They have to go out and go and win the game. Let's get our first bit of reaction after England 0-Ghana 0. Declan Rice with BBC Television. Well, Declan, is frustration, the overriding emotion at full-time? Yeah, I think so. It's always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they was. You've got to find solutions and last 10 minutes we probably found more than we did all game and we were unlucky not to score. but look, we stay positive, we keep going and we still have a great chance to top the group against Panama so positivity all round.

13:58Why do you think you couldn't find those solutions today when you did so well against Croatia? You have to give credit to Ghana sometimes you know, 5-4-1 off the ball very, very compact, tight spaces to play through but of course on the other hand maybe we can do a little bit more with the ball and create a bit more but it's tough, you know, they're good players like we said that, it was never going to be an easy game and now we have one more in the group to finish top, so we need to be positive. The fourth tournament in a row where England have drawn their second group match, you've got to finals in two of those tournaments.

14:32Does that perhaps show that there's no need to panic? It's all on track. Yeah, you know, loads of top nations drew their first game. You know, there's no need to be negative or downbeat. We need to stay positive, keep going, recover before the next match and that's what we'll do. You don't need to be negative or downbeat, as Declarei speaks to Kelly Summers there, but you can still ask questions about why they couldn't break them down, can't you Steph? Yeah of course and I think especially with the quality that we have in the squad and look a lot of these players come across these formations whether that's in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Champions League so they know what it takes to break teams like Ghana down in terms of their formation what they're wanting to do and sit in that low kind of block as a team and I think we had more than enough quality that was starting the game but also that came off the bench to be able to do that.

15:23So I think, of course, yeah, be happy that we're top of the group. But I think for the standard and the expectation and the manager that we have, I think even though it was a difficult night, we have to try and find a way to score, whether that's early on or in the last minute. And I think that's what the players will be really frustrated about because we have the tools to be able to unlock that defence. Yeah, we're here to look for reasons, aren't we? I mean, there's going to be a lot of positivity coming from the England camp because that's what they do and that's the way they are under Thomas Tuchel.

15:50but we're here to have an opinion and to analyse the game and to see what they could do tactically. And the worrying thing for me, sat here watching the game, was the way England approached the game. Yes, Thomas Tuchel is a very active, proactive manager and his in-game changes are very good. And his in-game changes were good and the formation changes and the personnel changes. So there was five personnel changes in an attacking sense. Obviously, Nico O 'Reilly left back, but that still gives you an attacking threat. He had five attacking changes, changed the formation a couple of times. they went to a 4-1-4-1 which was very attacking and in all of that in 35-40 minutes when England did try and turn up the pace they still couldn't find an answer that would be the one worrying thing that Thomas Tuchel will be thinking about tonight Why couldn't they find that answer?

16:33I know I keep asking the same question to each of you but particularly let's say the last 15 minutes probably looked the brightest with or was it 10 minutes with Rashford on then Ezzett and Rodgers as two 10s Saka on the right and Kane up front That was probably the brightest period. But you also have to take into account then, don't you, that Garner are starting to tie. Yeah, but also when you step back and you analyse it now, you know the way Garner are going to play. Now, this is very, very difficult and controversial. Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice didn't need to play as two holding midfielders today.

17:10You could have had one of those. If you're not going to leave one of them out, you can afford to play Declan Rice higher up the field. You can afford to play Elliot Anderson higher up the field. because as the game got late and England were chasing the game, Declan Rice sat in front of a back four, a back four that had nothing to do the whole game. So when you look at the shape of the England team, there was no need for two defensive midfielders and he changed that later in the game. And yes, the changes that he made affected the game. Saka changed the game. Morgan Rodgers, for me, had the biggest impact coming off the bench.

17:36He changed the game. But why wait that late in the game when you know the way that the game's panning out? Those changes either start like that or change at half-time or change after 60 minutes. when you can see the pattern of the game. Micah, Phil, has said on television, frustrating thing for him, England weren't brave enough. Yes, we knew they were coming up against a team that was set up in a low block. I felt there were too many safe passes. You need to be braver when you come up against a team in a low block. Yeah, I think that can be said, especially to probably the first 45, 50, 60 minutes of the game.

18:09I don't know why that was. It was alluded to, obviously, everything was a bit sideways and a bit too easy. we did make like Robbo said five really attacking substitutions again we maybe showed them a little bit too much respect with the team we picked on the counter attack you know obviously they had a lot of pace and power going forward but they didn't really show it in the first half but it's really easy to say after you've watched the game and you've sat watching it on TV or in a stand like you guys are what you did wrong so maybe we were expecting more of an attacking threat from Garner on the counter attack and they didn't really throw us that and again a little bit too safe first half but the England camp will still be positive again it's up to us now to turn up it would have been nice to have had the top of the table sorted for the last game but you know we'll just have to make it a little bit harder and a little bit more exciting in the third game against Panamore Talking about the formation change and being braver from the manager's point of view and the coach's point of view and actually none of us said that before the game because how can you change a team that played so well against Croatia.

19:13That will have been his point of view. But he did, though. He did change that team, didn't he? Not system. I'm talking about the two defensive midfielders. Because England, in that game, a lot of people will say they did not need those two defensive midfielders. If you're going to play that system, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, very difficult to leave one of those out of your team. You can't. So just play one of them higher up the field, which both are able to do. But also, there's a little bit more than... You can expand on it to be more than just system, can't you, Steph? I was watching, it may have been in the last five minutes, and Marcus Rashford was hugging the touchline, and that was right in front of England's technical area, and Thomas Tuchel was there, and Mark Gay was on the ball.

19:54And Tuchel was pointing at Rashford to tell Gay to play the ball to him. But Gay probably took another three, four, five touches, and it's very easy saying this from sitting up here, not being at pitch level, never having played professional football in my life. But the impression was Tuchel wanted that ball moved quicker. Yeah, without a doubt. And I think that's one of the secrets of trying to break down a team that's really defensive and is really compact and really structured is that how can you make the pitch as big as possible, but also you need to do it quick. And I think that was evident in the first half.

20:29I think if Gordon Madwecki had stayed a little bit wider, really stretched Garner in terms of from a defensive point of view, because especially when you're getting through the game, chapters to defend like that for a full 90 minutes from a concentration kind of point of view sometimes you're going to switch off and you need to try and find that moment and when Rashford came on I think he did need the ball a little bit quicker but because Gay's taken that many touches it's hard to do that but I think overall I think our intensity could just be that little bit quicker and we've got players that play at such a high intensity week in week out for clubs that I think when you play against this system it's so important that you do things quickly because as a defender you like to see everything in front of you you don't want people on your back shoulder you don't want to be looking around you want everything in front so then he can make the decisions and it was very clear and I think for probably 70-80 minutes I think we made it a little bit easy for Ghana to defend and to see where everybody else is but the likes of Rodgers and Eze and Nico O 'Reilly trying to make the box I think it caused confusion and I think the more bodies in the box allowed us to create them little chances and unfortunately the chance that fell to Harry Kane nine times out of ten he would have scored that.

21:37See you later Steph Horton with us, former England captain Steph Horton, the current England men's captain is with John Murray. Yes he is Harry Kane standing in front of me, frustration I guess is probably the word, feelings very different in the aftermath of the Croatia match. Yeah obviously disappointed not to win the game, it's a game we knew we'd have loads possession and we did. They defended well in a compact block, they made it difficult to play through the middle of the pitch so the game was more out wide and 1v1 duels and you know I think both both ends of the half, first half and second half, we got some momentum there, we got some chances and yeah look it's a game that we could have walked away 1-0, 2-0 and we move on.

22:21It was never going to be the prettiest game because of the way they play but credit to them, they defended well, they're dangerous on the counter-attack, I thought overall we controlled that pretty well. They don't have many chances so we take the point and we move on. Were you lacking something today? Maybe just a little bit of quality but these games are tough. I've played in these type of games a lot of us have played in these type of games where it's almost 11 behind the ball, you have to be patient, you have to break them down, you almost sometimes need an early goal to open the match and then they have to come out but as the game gets longer at 0-0 they believe more, they defend with their heart and like I said we still had chances towards the end there obviously I'm backing myself to score that more often more often than not but you looked like you couldn't believe yeah you didn't put it in the net one of those but um yeah I've lived the striker life long enough to know they're not always going to go in I've backed myself nine times out of ten unfortunately it just didn't fall my way today I know you spoke to everybody about the importance of trying to win the second match because England haven't done that in the last three tournaments you've not done it that's not going to affect the mood?

23:26No, I don't think so. We're still in a great position in the group. I always talk about major tournaments and splitting it into two chunks. First is the group stage, making sure nothing crazy happens and you're not going into the last game desperate to need three points and wait for other results. We're in a convincing position. We play Panama Nets, which we expect ourselves, if we play to our level, to be able to win and hopefully top the group. We want to win. The last few tournaments hasn't been the second win, and we wanted that second win today, but it weren't to be. But overall, we're in a good position, and we look forward to the next one.

24:03Thank you, Harry Kane. Cheers. Speak soon. Harry Kane, England captain with John Murray. We're expecting some more reaction. We'll hopefully hear from Thomas Tuchel soon as well. And in fact, as Harry Kane walks off, Mark Gay walked in. John? Yes, slightly confusing. I was speaking to you saying Mark and actually Mark Gay was standing in front of me. Anyway, Mark, congratulations. First appearance at a World Cup, first of all. That's another little milestone. Yeah, I'm grateful to God. I wouldn't be here without Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Saviour. So I'm grateful to him and yeah, I'm happy to help the team in any way.

24:43So what was it like out there? I just said to Harry Kane, frustration's the word, isn't it? I wouldn't say frustration. I think it's so important to put things into perspective. That's what life is about. On another day, we win the game and everyone's buzzing. The main thing was that the performance was actually good. The performance, we looked like a team that wanted to score, that had chances to score goals. And it's important that we just learn from this game and build. And they were exactly as Thomas Tuchel suggested, weren't they? Yeah, physical, very organised side, determined to do everything.

25:16You see at the end of the game what it meant to them. so I think it's important that we give credit to them but like I said it's important that we put things into perspective and try and learn and move forward So anyone listening at home who thinks there's a little bit of a bursting of the bubble here not the case? No, not at all I think it's life we all wanted a win today that wasn't possible so you look at what you can take from the game like I said, a lot of positives on another day we scored the goals and six points in the group that wasn't the case today it's just important that we know now in our hands for the next game and we just focus on that one.

25:49Exactly so, and we know, don't we, from Euro 2024, it's all about finding a way through a tournament, isn't it? Absolutely. I think the fans know that. The fans know that. I mean, I'm not going to sit here and act like I'm the voice of reason or whatever. The fans are very aware and, you know, I think we're all glad because, you know, their support is needed and their support was definitely heard and felt today, for sure, in the stadium and back at home. But, yeah, as long as we carry on doing what we're doing, I think we'll be OK. Thank you nevertheless for the voice of reason, Mark. Thank you.

26:19Speak soon. And there he goes. And from Mark to Mark. Sorry, which Mark was the voice of reason?

26:30Well, guess which one it wasn't. Yes, I thank you very much. Phil Jagielka listening to Mark Gay's interview there. He's right, isn't he, actually? Look, it's one of those things and it's not disastrous. That's life sometimes. and everybody moves on. The issue with that, which is 100 % accurate, is it then makes for a very short post-match analysis show. Yeah, it doesn't help us, does it? A nil-nil doesn't help us at all. At the end of the day, we've got four points. If you'd have flipped it every way around and got a draw against Croatia and we'd have beat Ghana, we'd have been in a worse position.

27:06So we've got to look at it. We've got the main three points in the first game. We'd have liked to have extended that today, They got basically through top of the table and look forward to plotting our route in the next round or so. I don't see it being a problem. I think we will still get to where we need to get to. But yeah, we just haven't made it quite as easy as we could have done. But it's basically as simple as that. Could we have played better? Yes. Is there things that we need to improve on? Yes. Is it a good time to find that out about our team? Yes. So if you look at it, it's been a pretty decent night, even though we would have loved three points.

27:43I wonder whether the Mark Gaye interview as well, Paul, sort of reflects the tournament maturity of England and their growth over the last couple of World Cup cycles in that actually everybody knows that they will be all right. Yeah, the understanding of a tournament and the understanding of tournament football and working your way through. I mean how often do we see a team that not necessarily wins a tournament that goes deep in a tournament loses the first game or doesn't start too well playing too well and it's a phrase that we use quite often growing into a tournament as long as you get better through a tournament but now that hasn't happened for England I mean they started excellently and there's been a drop-off in the second game they'll have to win the third game and then they'll progress and then the real questions will start getting you know asked in the knockout stages but the three kind of very gentle vanilla interviews that we've had you're not going to get anything else it's going to be it's a point you know it's a positive for us we've got four points now we're going to move on it's one of those days it's difficult and yes you can understand that but there are things to look at there are you know there are problems in that performance there's players underperformed again in that performance Anthony Gordon for me that's two games that he hasn't turned up in he's got brought off in them both the substitutes have made the difference in them both I don't think he's played particularly well in there Jed Spence came into the game today I don't think he played particularly well I think there's players in that performance that didn't play well Yes, there's going to be a positive tone coming from the England side.

29:14But I think if we're going to analyse it, there's got to be questions asked over certain players. Do you think the Gordon performance was different tonight to the Dallas one in the sense of, and I'd have to have a look at the numbers to confirm this, but it certainly felt, observing it, he had more of the ball tonight than he did against Croatia? I thought he had more of the ball, but I don't think he was effective with the ball. I thought he got into areas and he slowed it down at times. I don't think either winger, Madueke in the first half I thought the full-back played extremely well and I think Garner marked both of them out of the game and neither of them had an answer other than coming inside and keeping possession there was no real excitement down the wings until Saka came on and Morgan Rodgers came on Morgan Rodgers was the one that looked like having the key to unlock a door which then that brings the wingers into the game, the wide players into the game It did feel Phil that neither of the wide men in Madueke and Gordon really managed to get round the back of their full-backs?