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England kicked off their World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-2 win against Croatia, but it wasn't a perfect performance. From brilliant set-piece strategy to defensive blunders, we analyze the key takeaways from the opening match.
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00:00Now, I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but England? Well played. That was mighty impressive.
00:05The near-perfect start to the World Cup that the fans, players, and Thomas Tuchel especially, would have wanted.
00:10But why was it so impressive?
00:12From individual performances to the perfect game plan and one or two issues they need to fix,
00:17here are a few things we learned from England's 4-2 victory over Croatia.
00:21Declan Rice searching for Harry Kane! That's how important they are!
00:25First off, and in the most English, well, Premier League way possible,
00:30set pieces clearly are and will be a big part of England's toolbox.
00:34Now, if you've looked at any social media since the game,
00:37you'll be well aware that most people are drawing the direct comparison from England
00:40to Arsenal's use of set pieces this season.
00:43And yep, it makes just as much sense for them as it does for England.
00:47In Declan Rice, Tuchel's side have one of the best corner and free kick takers at the tournament.
00:51The boss knows it, Arteta knows it, so why wouldn't you use it at every opportunity
00:56to fill the box and plan for them as much as you can?
01:00That's not to forget Saka's corner kick-taking abilities too, by the way.
01:03Rice's assist for Kane's header wasn't the most complicated of the routines.
01:06He aimed for the penalty spot and Kane's header was perfectly timed,
01:09but if it could be that simple, why don't you have it ready to go at a moment's notice?
01:14I think the important distinction to draw between the two, though,
01:16is that at times this season, Arsenal seem to be only having set pieces in the locker
01:21as a way of breaking down the opposition,
01:23whereas England showcased much more than that over the course of the 90 minutes versus Croatia.
01:28But aside from corners and free kicks, penalties count as a set piece too,
01:32and say what you want about Kane missing the first time around,
01:34it's a great save, and which striker hasn't missed a penalty,
01:37but for the most part, England have got one of the most lethal penalty takers in world football.
01:42His retaken spot kick actually saw him break the record
01:45for the most penalties scored in the World Cup with five,
01:47and his miss, I've only just found out,
01:49doesn't even count on the record books as it was retaken.
01:52Still, the use of set pieces will no doubt be a contributing factor
01:55to England's progression as the tournament goes on.
01:57But, first and foremost, the performance in open play was a sight to behold,
02:01especially in the second half, and it was down to a few different factors.
02:06And Bellingham driving all the way, and scoring!
02:09But before we get to that, though, it wasn't all positive.
02:12In fact, conceding two goals in the manner England did was downright sloppy,
02:16and I think it's down to lapses in concentration.
02:19If you look at the attacking threat chart here from Opta,
02:22you'll see that Croatia scored during the first few moments of pressure each time.
02:27The second England's back line was tested, there was panic, and goals were conceded.
02:31I'm not glossing over the fact that the first was a sensational strike from Baturina,
02:35but the fact that England actually looked okay when they lost possession is what makes it worse.
02:39Look at this screenshot.
02:41When Croatia win the ball, Declan Rice's goal side of his man.
02:45Should he be in the left-back position?
02:46Probably not, but Nico O'Reilly has stepped into midfield, so that's fine.
02:50He then, however, leaves his man to cover the central position.
02:54Doing two jobs at once isn't ideal.
02:56Which then brings us to this situation just a few moments later.
02:59A free man on the outside with a fairly simple ball to find him.
03:03As the Croatians advance into the box,
03:04the immediate response is to get right back into the thick of the defensive action,
03:08but this leaves Baturina free, on the edge of the box,
03:11and just 10 seconds after losing possession, Croatia are back in the game.
03:15Conceding after long periods of sustained pressure is one thing,
03:18but being so susceptible to conceding without making the opposition work for it
03:22is rather disappointing.
03:24As for the second goal, England again have allowed a very good goal-scoring opportunity
03:28within the blink of an eye from a fairly comfortable position.
03:31The ball is 40 yards from goal here, no real danger,
03:34yet one run from Perisic inside Rhys James, which he follows too late,
03:38and the panic sets in as everyone is drawn to the ball,
03:41and the space is left for the knockdown to Moussa.
03:43Now, does it leave a question about those in the back line?
03:46I don't think so.
03:47Not yet, anyways.
03:48If England's progression through the group has almost already been assured due to the victory,
03:52and with weak opponents coming up in the group stage,
03:54the back four have time to get it right.
03:57If this is Tuchel's chosen defensive line,
03:59although I think Gehie can count himself hard done by.
04:02But back to the good stuff,
04:03and we have a fairly obvious statement to make
04:05when it comes to the reason why England are so good in attack.
04:09And the captain is unfazed!
04:11And that is because Harry Kane's pretty good at football, isn't he?
04:15I know, I've gone on about it a lot, including in recent videos,
04:17but it's not just that.
04:19The players around him are very much aware of their role
04:21and what it means to the entire side going forward.
04:24When Kane drops deep into the midfield to pick up the ball,
04:27England posed a real threat by stretching the pitch vertically,
04:31giving defenders problems to deal with
04:33and allowing Kane the space in which to work.
04:35He's not holding up the ball for layoffs,
04:37he's keeping it to play forwards.
04:39Evidence with his two key passes,
04:40three attempted long balls and six passes into the final third.
04:44Oh, and this along with his seven shots and two goals,
04:46of course, gave him a deserved man of the match award.
04:49Look at this moment, for example.
04:51Kane receives the ball in his own half from Pickford,
04:53turns, looks up and has three English players ahead of him.
04:56It's a great ball to Madowiecki,
04:58who, when attacking the box,
05:00now has a central player to aim for in Bellingham
05:02and a wide player too in Anthony Gordon.
05:04It's no wonder when you look at the pass map
05:06that you find Kane, number nine here,
05:08with Gordon and Madowiecki's average position way ahead of him.
05:12It's not just the Kane thing, though.
05:14Anytime a player drops deep to pick up the ball,
05:16a vertical pass is on beyond the lines.
05:18Jude Bellingham's goal was a perfect example of this,
05:21where Elliot Anderson's ball around the corner
05:23found Bellingham pushing beyond the back line
05:25and firing into the bottom corner.
05:27By having Madowiecki and Gordon pushing higher,
05:30England's game plan worked exceptionally well,
05:32especially down the right-hand side
05:33with a brilliant first-half performance from Madowiecki.
05:35But if you're thinking this reliance on Kane
05:37to be the conductor leaves England a little bit one-dimensional,
05:40I'd disagree.
05:41Not only because it makes sense
05:42to build around your best player,
05:43but actually because England proved
05:45that they have more than a few tricks up their sleeve.
05:48Video aside for a second, though,
05:49and here's a hypothetical question for you.
05:51Imagine you're on your holidays during the World Cup
05:53or travelling somewhere for work
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05:56You've got your TV licence sorted
05:58to watch your coverage in the UK,
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06:27Rashford!
06:29Four!
06:29These tricks and the final learning I've taken from the game
06:32come in the form of the substitutes
06:34because the squad depth is looking pretty good.
06:37Did Anthony Gordon have the best game?
06:38No, not at all.
06:39So no problem.
06:41Bring on Marcus Rashford.
06:42Slightly less of a threat in behind,
06:44but more of a danger when running with the ball
06:46and with the knack of finding the back of the net
06:47with real composure,
06:49his cameo off the bench
06:50is exactly the sort of thing
06:52that will please Thomas Tuchel.
06:53He doesn't start,
06:54he comes on,
06:55and he seals the game.
06:56In a busy tournament
06:57with a wide variety of problems to solve
06:59in the face of so many different styles of opponent,
07:02having multiple keys to turn the lock
07:04is so important.
07:05Not only him,
07:06but Saka,
07:07Rodgers,
07:08even Jed Spence off the bench.
07:09They're all good options.
07:10There's also a case to be made
07:12that should England beat Garner,
07:13and I've talked them up enough now
07:15so they bloody well better do,
07:16that these players can play
07:18a slightly less intense fixture versus Panama
07:21and give a few of themselves a rest
07:23before heading into the round of 32.
07:25Do England have the best squad in the tournament?
07:28No.
07:28I think that distinction absolutely belongs to France.
07:31We saw that in their second half performance
07:32versus Senegal.
07:33But for now,
07:34England have to worry only about themselves.
07:36It's a good start
07:37to what will be a long old slog
07:39if they're to win their first World Cup in 60 years.
07:42But as for the first 90-ish minutes,
07:44the signs are positive
07:45and there's reason to believe
07:46that a deeper tournament run
07:48could be on the cards.
07:49Oh, and last thing,
07:50actually,
07:51although there are a couple of new faces
07:53in the squad since the last tournaments,
07:55yesterday's barrage of attacking football
07:57really did go to show
07:58that Sir Gareth Southgate
07:59may have had this team
08:00of attacking, talented, positive players
08:02playing with a bit too much restraint,
08:04a bit too much pragmatism and negativity.
08:07But hey,
08:07that's in the past.
08:09Unleash the boys, Tommy.
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