As England prepare to face Panama at the World Cup on Saturday night, Thomas Tuchel needs to drop Anthony Gordon and play one of Marcus Rashford or Morgan Rogers instead.
Gordon has endured a slow start to the tournament so far, with the Barcelona winger managing just two shots from as many outings.
And with England needing victory to make certain of their involvement in the knockout stages, Tuchel should roll the dice to give his side the best chance possible of achieving that objective.
It’s not that Gordon is a poor player. Far from it. There’s a reason Barcelona have broken the bank to acquire his services. He has developed into a fine player and has the potential to scale dizzying heights in the coming years ahead, especially while surrounded by the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
But when it comes to England at the World Cup this summer, things haven’t quite worked out.
From matches with Croatia and Ghana, he’s yet to score or assist. Two shots in medicore outings have returned nothing. Two chances created showcases a player struggling for rhythm and lacking sharpness at the end of another gruelling season.
If this was club football, Gordon would have time to overcome this little rut. But with the World Cup taking over the space of just a few weeks, Tuchel can’t afford any weak links. Especially with so many of England’s rivals ominously starting to find their groove.
As England prepare to face Panama at the World Cup on Saturday night, Thomas Tuchel needs to drop Anthony Gordon and play one of Marcus Rashford or Morgan Rogers instead
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GETTY
Anthony Gordon has struggled for England at the World Cup this summer
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GETTY
Fortunately, Rogers and Rashford provide exciting alternatives.
Rogers is this summer’s hottest property, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all holding an interest in the Aston Villa star.
And though he wasn’t able to win the game against Ghana last time out, England improved with him on the field. His form for Villa last season, where he managed 16 goal involvements in 37 Premier League matches, shows Tuchel has an ace up his sleeve.
England dominated the statistics but could not find a goal against Ghana | GETTY/GBNEWS
Rashford might just be the shrewder pick, however.
The forward, whose long-term future at Manchester United is shrouded in uncertainty after 18 months out on loan, impressed off the bench against Croatia on matchday one.
He combined well with Bukayo Saka and scored England’s fourth and final goal of the game. For that effort, he demonstrated a composure that Gordon has lacked in front of goal so far.
A decade ago, when Roy Hodgson was overseeing a disastrous European Championships defeat to Iceland, Rashford was left on the bench for the majority of the game.
Making the same mistake, 10 years on, would be unforgiveable.
While still inconsistent and no longer a player for the future, Rashford also possesses a rare X-factor about him. United know it. Barcelona, who are interested in another loan, are aware of his talents too.
Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring England’s fourth and final goal against Croatia | GETTY
Rashford also caught the eye against Ghana during his brief time on the feld. His experience of playing at major tournaments works in his favour, too, having become a prominent figure at this level. Experience, as the old saying goes, is key.
On Saturday night, the real England need to turn up.
There were signs against Croatia and Ghana are a solid side, but England should now steamroll a team ranked 42nd in the world.
Bringing in Rashford, and giving Gordon time to recharge and go again, gives them a better chace of doing that.
