World Cup 2018: Why England’s thumping win over Panama was tactically similar to their Tunisia late show

Tactical analysis: After their biggest win in World Cup history, Michael Cox explains how England triumphed without changing too much about their system

It might sound strange to suggest that England’s 6-1 thrashing of Panama was somewhat similar to their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Tunisia, yet look beyond the scoreline and there were very similar themes. England’s combination football in open play largely involved getting midfield runners in behind, while they depended upon set-pieces for their goals.

Gareth Southgate made only once enforced change from England’s opener, Ruben Loftus-Cheek replacing the injured Dele Alli. Loftus-Cheek played to the right of England’s midfield trio, with Lingard switching to an inside-left role. The basic approach, however, remained the same.

England didn’t start particularly well, however. There were needless concessions of possession from all three centre-backs, with John Stones underhitting a pass to prompt a Panama break, Harry Maguire giving the ball to the opposition cheaply for the second time in this competition, and Kyle Walker taking a heavy touch on the edge of his own box.

Southgate has deliberately selected these defenders for their ball-playing ability, and will be concerned at the frequency of the mistakes here under very little Panama pressure. With England’s wing-backs Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young pushing extremely high up the pitch in possession, quick turnovers leave England vulnerable down the flanks, and a better player than Anibal Godoy may have punished England’s defence, when released into the inside-left channel after Stones’ mistake. Afterwards, Southgate admitted he’d been unhappy with England’s start.

Like against Tunisia, however, England were a threat from set-pieces despite their aerial targets constantly being grappled by opposition defenders. Whereas Tunisia’s primarily zonal system had often left England’s centre-backs free, Panama used a man-marking system that meant each of England’s major threats were occupied. It was ironic, though, that for all England’s justified complaints about Panama’s physical approach at corners, it was a sneaky Young block on Michael Marillo that created a huge amount of space for Stones to nod home.

England’s greatest threat in open play at this tournament has been Lingard, and his run in behind the opposition defence, with the Panama centre-backs concentrating on Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane, brought the penalty for England’s second goal. He was played in by an arcing, chipped pass from the right by Kieran Trippier, an identical move to the incident when Lingard struck the post against Tunisia, and that move is working better for England than balls from Jordan Henderson, which were often too straight.

How England applied pressure on the Panama defence (www.sharemytactics.com)

Lingard deservedly got his name onto the scoresheet with a lovely curled effort from the edge of the box, before England’s superb training ground routine from a central free-kick allowed Stones to nod home his second after Sterling’s close-range header had been saved impressively by Jaime Penedo.

Yet more penalty-box wrestling allowed Kane to score a second penalty, stuck in exactly the same manner to the first, and he later completed his hattrick somewhat fortunately after Loftus-Cheek’s shot deflected in off his heel. Baloy’s late consolation will have annoyed England’s backline, and they were culpable by defending a wide free-kick with a poor defensive line.

The nature of England’s goals were somehow typical of this tournament so far. There have been relatively few ‘normal’ goals scored at World Cup 2018, with an incredibly high percentage scored from long-range curlers, set-pieces and penalty kicks, the latter two figures boosted by the use of VAR.

But the lack of close-range open play goals has been notable, and such a goal has been curiously absent from England’s eight from two matches: England have scored from a long-range curler, two penalties, four set-pieces ad a flukey deflection. Furthermore, their two concessions have been from a penalty and a set-piece. So far, the element of tactics that deserves most scrutiny at this tournament has not been about formations or pressing, but about set-piece routines. In that sense, England look as good as anyone.