Why are England struggling to convince?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Athletic FC.
Hi there and welcome to The Athletic FC podcast with me, Adam Leventhal. So Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane stepped up as England topped Group L. But are we convinced by Thomas Tuchel's side as the knockouts begin? Well, with me today are Tim Spears and Art de Rocher. Are we excited? The knockouts are about to start, Tim.
Yeah, the draw's really good, actually. It's very, very exciting, very appealing. There were some big match-ups in there. And yeah, we discussed on the last pod, Adam, that the last round of the group stage wasn't quite living up to expectations. But we got some good drama on the last day. And certainly with, you know, pretty much the last kick of the group stage in terms of the Austria match. So yeah, we got some good drama.
We did. We did. And I mean, it's important. We've discussed it before on the show. How much of it were you able to take in in the wee small hours?
Yeah, for me, it was just the England game and then catching up on all the rest of the action. So I think what's been really nice is just as Tim mentioned on his first appearance was not being spoiled overnight. So thankfully, the highlights on YouTube that I've been watching, they don't include the scoreline in the in the title or the thumbnail so so yeah i was able to catch up quite nicely this morning
Let's start with England. 2-0 winners over Panama. Finished top of the group. Croatia beat Ghana 2-1. They also went through in second and third respectively. But at the MetLife for us was our England correspondent, Jack Pitbrook. Let's check in with what he thought about it.
I didn't think it was an amazing England performance. Bellingham was obviously the best player. I think the big issue I have with England is they conceded so many chances on the break. Just the same as with the Ghana game here against Panama. England look a bit too open. I wonder that will probably be what does for them if they come up against a better team later on in the tournament. England have got a bit of a problem in defence, I think. Rhys James obviously has a hamstring injury. We saw Gerard Kwanzaa, who played it right back today. He went off with an ankle injury as well here in the second half. And that means that really the only fit fullbacks they have now are Nico O'Reilly who started at left back and then Jed Spence who came on at right back.
John Stones played the first game, hasn't played since then. And I think that England suddenly look a little bit short of numbers in defence. I'm not really sure what the solution is, whether Perhaps it involves bringing in a Chalaba or moving Esri Konca over to right back down the line. But I think those selection issues in defence will probably be the biggest talking point between now and the Congo game. And of course, the return of Declan Rice. England missed Rice today. He didn't start. And I think England just looked really open without Rice there alongside Anderson to sweep up in the middle of the pitch. But that's the end of England's group stage. Now it's on to the knockouts.
Yeah, thanks very much to Jack. Let's pull on a few of those threads. Tim, let me come to you on, first of all, the fact that England are top of the group. Everyone should rejoice and relax, or is it actually a benefit as we kick on now with the knockouts?
It certainly is for their first match. It's DR Congo, and it could have been Portugal if they finished second. So, yeah, the route is sort of DR Congo, probably Mexico in Mexico, which, yeah, is tough, but that would be an absolutely fabulous occasion. And then Brazil in the quarters, you know, we're all projecting. And second would have meant Portugal, Spain, and then maybe sort of Belgium, USA in the quarters. So, yeah, the logistics of it matters as to where they travel, but I'd be more bothered about... sort of the difficulty and getting through the next couple of rounds and trying to build some momentum, you know, ahead of what we hope will be sort of a last four appearance. That's got to be their minimum stated aim is to get to the semifinals.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–6:10
2
How convincing was England’s 2-0 win over Panama and what were the immediate reactions from the MetLife Stadium?
6:10–9:39
3
Why are England’s defensive injuries and selection issues creating doubt about Tuchel’s squad depth?
9:39–25:34
4
Should Trent Alexander‑Arnold or other full‑backs have been included to solve England’s right‑back dilemma?
25:34–37:36
Speakers
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