Jamie Carragher has urged Thomas Tuchel to reposition Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice in a deeper role for England's upcoming World Cup round of 32 clash against DR Congo, warning that the current setup is limiting the impact of star striker Harry Kane.
Kane isolated in Panama win
England secured a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday night to top Group L, with second-half goals from Kane and Jude Bellingham. However, Carragher believes the performance exposed tactical flaws that stronger opponents could exploit. Kane managed just one touch inside the penalty area during the first half and only 10 touches overall outside the box, following a similarly quiet display against Ghana where he touched the ball just 20 times.
According to Carragher, writing in The Telegraph, the presence of two advanced midfielders—Morgan Rogers and Bellingham—alongside Nico O'Reilly meant Kane often found himself in congested spaces. "Kane had only one touch inside the penalty area in the first half against Panama. As much of a concern was how few touches he had outside of the area, too – just 10 in total. Against Ghana, he touched the ball just 20 times. That is limiting the impact of a multi-dimensional striker who is our most lethal weapon," Carragher wrote.
Rice's return prompts tactical rethink
Declan Rice missed the Panama match due to fitness concerns, with Tuchel opting to protect the Arsenal star. Carragher argues that Rice's return should be accompanied by a positional shift. "One solution when Rice returns is to ask him to play deeper in a double pivot alongside Elliot Anderson. Anderson was exposed against Panama, who were able to launch too many counter-attacks. Better opposition would have punished England," Carragher said.
He added that dropping Rice deeper could allow Kane and Bellingham to link up more effectively, though it would require Tuchel to alter his initial plan of deploying a front five in possession with wide triangles. "When Kane drops deep, there is more responsibility for the wingers to threaten more. At Bayern Munich, Kane is blessed to have Michael Olise and Luis Díaz," Carragher noted.
Wingers failing to deliver
Carragher also criticised England's wide players, including Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Morgan Rogers, who failed to impress in the Panama game. "Tuchel has designed the team to facilitate quick, direct wingers, which is why he named so many in his squad. Unfortunately, the wingers are having better games when they do not play. Marcus Rashford has been the brightest of the wide men so far, but generally they are not doing enough. That is increasing the pressure on Kane and Bellingham to create and score. Others must step up now, or England will be coming home early," he warned.
England face DR Congo on Wednesday in the round of 32, with Tuchel expected to make changes after a mixed group stage performance.
