England’s Midfield Problem Reappeared Against Ghana and It Could Cost Them at the World Cup

The same problem keeps showing up for England at major tournaments. They dominate possession. They control the tempo. And then they hit a wall.

Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Ghana in Group H was the latest example. England had 68 percent of the ball. They completed over 600 passes. They just couldn’t score. It’s the second straight group game they’ve drawn at this World Cup, and it’s part of a longer pattern — the Three Lions have now drawn their second group fixture at each of their last four major tournaments.

Thomas Tuchel’s team wasn’t bad exactly. They just weren’t dangerous. Ghana sat deep in a compact low block, dared England to break them down, and England couldn’t do it.

No creativity in the middle third

Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice combined for seven key passes between them. That sounds decent until you watch the tape. None of those passes cut through Ghana’s defensive lines. They were sideways balls, safe passes, the kind that keep possession but don’t threaten goal.

Tuchel left Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton off the World Cup squad. Wharton specializes in line-breaking passes, the kind of through ball that forces a defense to scramble. That decision looks worse after this game. It’s not that Wharton would have guaranteed a goal, but England clearly missed a midfielder who can thread a pass into tight spaces.

The wingers didn’t help, either. Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke both struggled to beat their defenders one-on-one. They registered two key passes apiece, but neither looked like a serious threat to create a scoring chance. Bukayo Saka came off the bench for Gordon and immediately looked more dangerous. He forced Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare into the only real save of the match.

One bright spot in defense

Marc Guehi started over John Stones at center back and made a strong case for keeping the job. Ghana didn’t generate much going forward, so Guehi’s defensive work wasn’t heavily tested. But his passing stood out. He completed 81 passes in the opposition half, more than any other player on either team. He also hit three long balls and won most of his duels.

Tuchel has to decide whether to stick with Guehi against Panama on Saturday or go back to Stones. Panama won’t sit back the way Ghana did, so the defensive demands will be higher. But Guehi’s distribution could be useful against a team that might try to press.

The bigger question is whether Saka and Marcus Rashford start together on the wings. Gordon and Madueke didn’t do enough to hold their spots. Saka looked sharper in his limited minutes. Rashford has the pace to stretch defenses that sit deep. Tuchel might have to shake things up.

England still controls its own path to the knockout round. A win against Panama likely gets them through. But the same midfield issue that’s haunted this team for years is still there, and it’s not going away.