Declan Rice is one of five England stars who magnify the team's huge weakness, according to former Man United assistant manager Mick Brown. On recent matches, England's midfield has struggled to create chances and opportunities against teams like Ghana and Panama.
What happened?
England's 0-0 draw against Ghana and 2-0 win against Panama highlighted a major weakness in the team's midfield. Jude Bellingham has been England's standout performer, but Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, and Morgan Rogers have lacked the tools required to break sides down.
Why it matters for Declan Rice
Brown told Football Insider that England lack creative players in their midfield and have instead stocked up on runners. All of the midfield profiles in Thomas Tuchel's squad fall into the hard-working category, while creative players and incisive passers like Adam Wharton were left at home.
What comes next?
The Three Lions have already shown they find it difficult to break down defensive-minded sides, and that could cost them later in the tournament. Brown hopes it becomes less of a concern later in the tournament when they're playing against better sides.
Declan Rice and his teammates will need to find a way to address this weakness if they want to succeed in the tournament. With the right players and strategy, England can overcome this challenge and make a deep run in the competition.
The midfield is packed with hard workers and runners, including Anderson, Rice, Bellingham, Rogers, and Henderson. Against teams like Ghana and Panama, there's nowhere to run with the ball because they're sitting in and closing the space.
England don't have any natural passers who are going to get on the ball and play passes to break lines, feed runners in behind, and move players around. Somebody like Adam Wharton, for example, was left at home when his qualities are exactly what England would need in that type of situation.
A number of midfielders can be considered unlikely not to have been included in Tuchel's squad, and whatever the reasoning, may have proved valuable. Wharton would represent the most natural creative midfielder to play alongside Rice, having displayed his line-breaking passing and forward-thinking game at Crystal Palace.
Morgan Gibbs-White was considered harshly treated after a strong season at Nottingham Forest, which highlighted his goalscoring abilities. Cole Palmer's creativity could have been a boost to England's chances, but he remained at home.
The concerns over Tuchel's squad selection have grown once more, and the team's major problem has become clear. England have one huge weakness which has become clear, and it could cost them later in the tournament.
On 18 Jun, England's win against Croatia seemed to calm those nerves, but back-to-back frustrating displays against teams set out to stifle England have seen those concerns grow once more. The team's lack of creativity in midfield is a major oversight, and it remains to be seen how they will address this issue.
Brown told Football Insider that England's midfield is packed with hard workers and runners, but they lack natural passers who can break down defensive-minded sides. This weakness has been evident in recent matches, and it could be a major factor in the team's success or failure in the tournament.
The tournament is still in its early stages, and England has time to address this weakness and make adjustments to their strategy. With the right players and approach, they can overcome this challenge and achieve their goals.
But for now, the concern over Tuchel's squad selection and the team's lack of creativity in midfield remains a major issue. It will be interesting to see how England responds to this challenge and how they will address this weakness in the coming matches.