Thomas Tuchel turned to Reece James once again in England’s second World Cup game, as they drew 0-0 with Ghana in Boston.
Reece James made his World Cup debut in England’s opener against Croatia. But, the national media suggested his display was nothing special, and even pointed out a couple of weaknesses in his game, such as his defending and positions for the two goals.
Following that victory, James was handed a difficult assignment against Ghana in Boston, tasked with neutralising the threat of Antoine Semenyo. Operating as a traditional right-back, James was crucial to managing England’s defensive transitions, but he offered very little going forward.
His lack of attacking intent was quite frustrating, especially as the only time he really got forward resulted in Nico O’Reilly hitting the crossbar from his cross.
Has Reece James done enough to keep his England place for Panama?🤔
National media want to see improvements from Reece James
It’s safe to say that the national media want to see more from Reece James with the ball at his feet moving forward, and it’s hard to argue with that.
Telegraph – 6/10 – Positive run into the box trying to overwhelm the deep Ghana back line with numbers. This created opportunities for England. He also took a knock after a clash of heads with Jordan Ayew. Antoine Semenyo was a threat on his flank and he lost one tussle but England recovered the situation.
Metro – 5/10 – A relatively poor outing from the Chelsea skipper, not offering enough offensively and caught up field when Ghana did pounce.
Independent – 6/10 – Teamed up nicely with Noni Madueke on the right again but was slow and predictable with the ball at his feet. Was it the sort of game where England missed the ingenuity of, say, Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back?
What role would make sense for John Terry at Chelsea? Or is he getting ahead of himself?😬
The stats of Reece James against Ghana
FotMob actually gave Reece James a 7.5 out of 10 for his display.
James had two touches in the opposition’s box, 87 touches, a passing accuracy of 94%, created two chances, made seven passes into the final third, made one of four accurate crosses, two of four accurate long balls, two tackles, one interception and seven recoveries.
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