England's 4-2 Victory Over Croatia: Defensive Concerns and Player Performances

England’s four-goal flourish against Croatia came with a sting in the tale – and the loudest voices dissecting it were men who know exactly what it takes to wear that shirt.

The scoreline read 4-2. The performance told a more complicated story.

Defensive cracks beneath the win

Wayne Rooney did not bother sugar-coating England’s part in Croatia’s opener.

“We could do so much better with the first goal,” the former England captain said, breaking down the move with the cold eye of a striker who has punished those mistakes for years.

Jude Bellingham, he felt, was “a bit flat-footed” as the ball was nicked away. John Stones then went to ground when he didn’t need to. There was “no real danger”, Rooney argued, with Jordan Pickford well set behind him, until Stones gambled, dived in, and dragged Nico O’Reilly into the fire to cover across. One neat set, a sharp cut-back, and a tidy finish later, Croatia were on the board.

Rooney’s attention then moved to Pickford. The Everton goalkeeper got a strong hand to the shot but couldn’t keep it out.

“Could Jordan Pickford do a bit better? I don’t know,” Rooney admitted, before adding the line that will sting most for England’s No.1: “I’m always critical of goalkeepers. I think if Jordan is getting a hand on it like he does then he’ll be disappointed.”

The goal, he conceded, was “a good goal from a Croatia point of view”. From England’s, it was an avoidable one.

Micah Richards saw a pattern, not an isolated lapse.

“If you look at the goals Croatia scored, both could have been avoided,” the former England defender said. For him, England “played into their hands”, allowing Croatia’s technicians time and space to dictate.

The energy was there, he argued. England were “all over Croatia” physically. The problem was where they chose to deploy that energy. “If you get ten or fifteen yards further forward, you don't even get into those situations,” Richards said, pointing to a team that pressed in the wrong zones and invited trouble.

What encouraged him was the bench. The “flexibility of the energy off the bench”, he said, will be pivotal in the weeks to come. The starting XI may not always get it right, but this squad has options.

Stones, Konsa and a question for Tuchel

At the heart of the debate sits Thomas Tuchel’s centre-back pairing.

John Stones and Ezri Konsa were given the nod in central defence, but their night was anything but serene. England conceded twice in the first half, and though Croatia’s finishing deserved credit, Tuchel will know his back line offered too many openings.

Stones, short of minutes at Manchester City last season, saw plenty of the ball here. He took responsibility in the build-up, stepping into midfield and trying to dictate from deep. That bravery came with risk. When it worked, England progressed quickly. When it didn’t, Croatia broke into spaces he had vacated.

Alongside him, Konsa – a regular under Tuchel – showed glimpses of the composure that has made him a favourite. Yet even he looked short of rhythm next to a partner who is still feeling his way back to full sharpness.

The question now is unavoidable: does Tuchel stick or twist for Ghana?

Marc Guéhi waits in the wings, the obvious candidate if the manager wants to steady things and restore a more familiar axis. Stones’ distribution and Konsa’s calm are valuable, but World Cups are unforgiving places to play your way into form.

Tuchel has a decision to make, and not much time to make it.

Gordon’s grounded debut

Amid the tactical noise, Anthony Gordon’s night cut through on a different level.

“It has been a crazy couple of weeks and that just topped it off,” the forward told BBC Radio 5 Live after making his World Cup debut. “First World Cup game, something I have dreamed about as a kid.”

He quickly turned the spotlight away from himself.

“Special, but it is not about me. Self-centredness is a disease and I don't want to be a part of that,” he said, before reeling off the names of those who changed the game alongside him: Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers. “It is a collective.”

Gordon did not gloss over the rocky start either. “A difficult first half – their goal came from nowhere and stunned us a little bit,” he admitted. The response, though, impressed him. “We came out really strong in the second half and got what we wanted. They were really good and that can't be underestimated when you look at the game.”

Debut nerves, early blows, then a surge of control. For a young forward, it was a crash course in tournament football.

Rashford’s reminder – and a looming club decision

One of the names Gordon highlighted may have the most to gain from nights like this.

Marcus Rashford came off the bench, scored, and changed the tempo of England’s attack. It was exactly the sort of cameo that does not just influence a World Cup campaign, but a transfer window.

On 1 July, Rashford will officially revert to being a Manchester United player. Barcelona have decided against triggering a £26m option to buy the 28-year-old after his loan spell.

United’s stance is clear. They want £40m for a player who still has two years left on a £325,000-a-week contract. They will not entertain another loan, despite Barcelona pushing for precisely that arrangement.

The market for Rashford is therefore narrow. His salary rules out most clubs. United cannot force him to go anywhere, and he will know his leverage. For now, the expectation at Old Trafford is straightforward: after his mandatory three-week break post-World Cup, he reports back in time for a training camp in the Republic of Ireland.

Between now and then, everything is in play. Performances like his against Croatia only sharpen the focus. Is this a forward United cash in on, or one they build around again?

England, for their part, will simply want more of the same in the weeks ahead.

They have four goals on the board, three points in the bag, and a defence under scrutiny. Ghana are next. Tuchel’s back line is under the microscope. And somewhere in Manchester, plans for Rashford’s future are being rewritten with every step he takes in an England shirt.