Soccer
England defender questions Thomas Tuchel selections
FIFA+: World Cup archive & programmes FREE on DAZN
For all the talk about England's disappointing display against Ghana on Tuesday, the Three Lions are still almost guaranteed to be in the Round of 32 come the end of their final group clash with Panama.
A positive result against the South Americans and the negative vibes around the goalless draw will soon be forgotten, and focus will shift onto the knockout rounds.
England's fate is yet to be decided on who they will face, with Thomas Tuchel's men most likely ending up against one of the best third-place sides from the group phase.
If they overcome that fixture, that's when things start to get even more interesting with some potential big names for the German boss to find a way past.
Rice: Ghana draw not a setback for England
Going into the tournament, England were labelled as one of the favourites to win the tournament, but a former defender has cast doubts on their ability to go all the way.
Gary Pallister was a Premier League winner with Manchester United and won nine caps for his country during his career, but as much as he'd like to see the current side lift the trophy, he's not convinced.
"My expectations for England haven’t changed after two games. I’m not confident that England can win the tournament," Pallister exclusively told DAZN News, thanks to Spreadex Sports.
Richard Pelham / Stringer
"I would expect them to reach the semi-finals, there’s enough quality in the side with Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, it’s whether the players can cope with the heat and humidity – that will cause problems because the players just aren’t used to those conditions.
"I would think that will begin to tell towards the end of the tournament, and England could then lose to a team that is more acclimatised.
"England are a match for anybody, but I’m used to seeing them fall short. I hope I’m wrong, I’d love to see England lift the World Cup after all these years.
"But there have been many England teams with plenty of talent who fail to produce. Unfortunately, my gut feeling is that it will happen again."
One major concern for Pallister is a position he knows all too well, the centre of defence.
Tuchel has so far played two different combinations in the two group games, but the former centre-half thinks the manager missed a trick by not bringing another Manchester United defender.
Adding, "I would’ve picked Harry Maguire in the first place.(C)Getty Images
"Not selecting Harry baffled me and baffled a lot of other people, too. He’s played at three major tournaments and was in good form with Manchester United. Hopefully, Thomas Tuchel doesn’t come to regret that decision. Tuchel’s made some strange decisions.
"The defence is a problem area – we know the quality of Reece James at right-back, he can be a game-changer from that position. But for the rest of the defence, no player has really shown that they are indispensable."
Watch World Cup archive, highlights and documentaries for FREE on DAZN
DAZN is the home of FIFA+ , a vast library of football on-demand content including World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, player profiles, live matches, and both full match replays and highlights.
Watch it all for FREE on DAZN on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles, and web browsers.
