England manager Thomas Tuchel saw his team play out a frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana in Boston to leave them needing a good win vs Panama to secure top spot in Group L19:00, 24 Jun 2026Thomas Tuchel has told England fans they must not panic after their World Cup wobble.‌England were held to a goalless draw by Ghana which brought them crashing back down to earth and the Group now goes down to the final match decider with Panama. But despite a very underwhelming performance, Tuchel insists that no other team has had such a tough second game as England had against Ghana.‌The African side are 64th in the FIFA rankings but Tuchel says they provided a tough test in Boston and that is why England came unstuck. The England boss said: “I saw some second round matches from big nations and I’m sorry but with respect there was not the level of Ghana on the other side of the pitch.‌“We were facing a very physical team and Ghana were good. We created half chances, we created deliveries and set plays but couldn’t score from it to change the characteristic of the game. I know it’s not an easy watch, I know.“Maybe I watch it differently from the sideline as a coach. I know what we wanted and what we had to take care of. I know it’s not crazy exciting but it needs two to tango.‌“It’s the reality. There is a long way to go and no one won a world cup with four goals per match and going for it.“We always wanna go for it and our responsibility is to bring everything to the table. We tried and tried but it’s difficult sometimes and there is no need to feel negative.”Tuchel did change his line-up with Marc Guehi coming in to partner Ezri Konsa in defence and the England boss said the back four deserved praise.‌The England boss was also reminded of a big reaction after his side laboured to a 2-0 victory over minnows Andorra at Villa Park then won 5-0 in Serbia three days later. England must now get that sort of response from the goalless draw Ghana to playing Panama in New Jersey on Saturday.Tuchel added: “I liked both central defenders. It was a difficult match. We allowed two counter attacks, and only two counter attacks, and they were straightway dangers.‌“So, the credit goes to the team, and to the structure, and to the discipline that we didn't allow more.“No, I'm not worried, I just know how good they are and how strong they are physically, and 80 per cent per possession is crazy, so we were the ones to constantly try and to produce something. It was a very reactive game of them.“I was happy with that game against Andorra so if you remember it well I was not concerned and it was not as though I said we need a reaction because we were not good enough.‌“And that was not my speech today to the players. This was a complicated match to day and it can happen.”Tuchel did admit that he was hoping to rest and rotate for England’s final Group match with Panama in New Jersey if they had beaten Ghana to finish top. That would have guaranteed top spot and a path into the knock-out phase which would have seen them guaranteed as fourth seeds with the first knock-out tie in Atlanta.Tuchel insists he will make changes for Panama - but says not as many as he might have done if they had finished the job.‌Tuchel added: “I was not even sure if do the full rotation. Maybe we would have. But I am not shy to do some rotation now. Some players should be on the pitch but maybe it will be more moderate.“It’s not always fair if you just rotate your players in and say ‘okay lets perform’. Lets see. I like for example the centre backs. They were good together. I like Elliot Anderson, he had a step forward and a good performance, maybe a bit better than against Croatia.”‌Tuchel insists he has no regrets over England’s exhaustive World Cup schedule - even though he admits some of his players are showing signs of “fatigue.”England are based in Kansas City for the duration of the tournament and flew 1,091 miles to Boston to play Ghana. They will also take a three hour flight to New Jersey to play Panama on Sunday which is 949 miles while the opening Group match with Croatia was 400 miles.England have embarked on one of the longest journeys across the United States and they could yet end up in Mexico for the last 16. Many teams are facing long journeys across the US, Canada and Mexico but England’s decision to base themselves in Kansas City does mean a lot of travel.‌Tuchel insisted they wanted a comfortable base rather than to travel round even if the number of flights and air miles looks tough on the players.Tuchel said: “We did and that was that was the reasonable option to do it. We didn't want to change hotels, and we didn't want to do the venue hopping, we wanted to have a base, and this is for us the most, the most valuable point, and that's why it's like it.”Tuchel admits he will have to take a careful check on his players after the Ghana game because of the quick turnaround for Panama on Saturday.‌They barely return to Kansas City before having to fly out again to New Jersey.But Tuchel also warned that Panama will be another tough hurdle for England.‌Tuchel added: “We need to look at them first, and then need to see how our players, there is some fatigue in some players. We only have three days.“But I just can repeat myself. I saw some second-round matches from big nations, they were, sorry about the disrespect, there was not the level of Ghana on the other side of the pitch, so we are facing just a very physical team, and Panama was good against them.“So it's maybe the least prominent name that we play against, but it will be tough.”Article continues belowGet the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent