England manager Thomas Tuchel faces an ongoing challenge to maximise the offensive output of his squad, particularly from captain Harry Kane, while ensuring other players contribute effectively. Recent performances, especially from Jude Bellingham, suggest a potential solution to this attacking puzzle.
Kane has been a consistent scorer under Tuchel, netting 13 goals in 17 England matches. However, other players have contributed a maximum of three goals during this period. While Kane has scored from a penalty, open play has rarely generated significant chances for him. Data indicates that in the initial matches, passes to Kane often came from defenders rather than expected creative players.
Bellingham’s Impact on Creativity
Despite their shared time on the pitch, Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham and Kane had not frequently combined for goals prior to the recent World Cup. Opta data showed that before the Panama game, Bellingham had created only three chances for Kane in 1,154 minutes of play together in major tournaments. Their only previous international goal combination occurred in a friendly match at Hampden Park in 2023.
The match against Panama highlighted a shift in this dynamic. England had generated only 0.54 expected goals in the first 56 minutes. However, a through ball from Bellingham created England’s first Opta-defined ‘big chance’ for Kane. Within the subsequent 10 minutes, Bellingham won a corner, scored from it, and then assisted Kane for England’s second goal.
Bellingham’s passes against Panama registered an expected assists value of 0.57, the highest for any England player in a group game. Only Noni Madueke, with 0.66 across all three group games, had a higher total. The chances Bellingham created for Kane were among the highest value opportunities set up by any England player for another in the group stage, in terms of expected goals.
Tuchel’s Tactical Considerations
Tuchel acknowledged Bellingham’s significant contribution, stating that the midfielder ‘buys fully into all the things we demand as a team player, and then he brings his own individual quality to decide football games’. He also noted that Bellingham’s performance against Panama, where he scored the first goal and set up the second, was crucial. Bellingham operated as a central midfielder when England did not possess the ball and as a number 10 when they did.
The manager emphasised the need for the team to work in patterns and units to create more attacking threats and repetition, rather than relying solely on individual brilliance. He cited an instance where a run from Nico O’Reilly opened space for Bellingham to shine, illustrating the team’s collective effort. Tuchel expressed confidence that other players like Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Madueke, and Bukayo Saka would also deliver when needed.
Concerns remain regarding England’s overall creativity and quality, with some suggesting the team is overly reliant on Kane and Bellingham, who have scored five of England’s six goals in the tournament. Bellingham’s goals against Croatia and Panama were particularly important, with his volley breaking the deadlock against Panama and his strike restoring a lead against Croatia. The challenge for Tuchel is to ensure these moments of connection between Bellingham and Kane become a regular feature, especially with Democratic Republic of the Congo expected to employ a low defensive block in their upcoming match on Wednesday.
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Source: theguardian.com
Harry Loxley is a Senior Football Correspondent at NewsGB.org. He spent his early career reporting East Midlands football. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Derby and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Derby, he watches non-league and runs a fan podcast. “Good football writing follows the people, not just the points.”