England showed it all in the Estadio Azteca on Monday morning. Defensive resolve, clinical finishing, raw desire. It was a match and performance for the ages - but Thomas Tuchel still saw room for improvement when speaking to BBC 5 Live after the game."I still think there's a disconnect from what I saw yesterday in training, because it was on the highest, highest level and I see this just in glimpses in the game."I'm just on the sideline and I don't feel pressure but I think we can play so much better still, so much better. Because I still feel there's a disconnect from the football level, from decision-making, from ball speed, from courage on the ball, from eliminating opponents with our passes, from going through gaps - there's still a disconnect."We still can do better. But in terms of what is loveable about the team as a fan, and the heart that they bring and the sense of belief - it's one of a kind."‌Put simply, England are up for any fight and this side's guts can't be questioned - but in terms of playing football their way and breaking teams down, Tuchel believes there's still plenty we haven't yet seen from the Three Lions at this World Cup.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!"Courage on the ball"One thing we haven't seen much of from England yet at this tournament is the ability to reliably turn control of possession into goals, which requires an element of risk-taking at the right moments.Granted, the match against Mexico in their national stadium-fortress wasn't a game England necessarily expected to dominate, and any hopes of controlling possession were finally dashed after Jarell Quansah's 54th-minute red card..‌All the same, England created 1.81 expected goals (xG) against Mexico from just 220 passes, according to Machine Football's database. Taking Harry Kane's penalty out of the equation, that works out at 0.48 non-penalty xG per 100 passes - still the second-highest score of any England performance at the tournament, behind only the chaotic opener against Croatia.But England have struggled to create clear-cut chances in games where they have dominated the ball.Take the 0-0 against Ghana in the group stage - England put down their highest number of passes at the tournament with 623, but accumulated a measly 0.26 xG per 100 of those passes.‌This isn't an issue of volume - against Ghana and Panama, England played their most final balls of the tournament (11 and 12 shot assists respectively).Instead, what disappeared was the quality of what those passes produced. Against Ghana, each shot assist was worth just 0.15 xG, while the Panama game saw a similar pattern develop (0.17 xG per shot assist).Drop the possession and the quality skyrockets. Against Croatia, England played their second-lowest number of passes (456) at the tournament, but generated the highest number of shot assists per 100 passes (2.4) at the World Cup so far.This makes sense - carving out clear cut chances is harder against a low block, and much easier in transition. Norway in the quarter-final will offer something different, but England will still expect to have the greater share of possession - so they have to start finding ways to split defences more regularly from these positions.‌"Eliminating opponents" and "going through gaps"England have been fine at progressing the ball to the edge of the opposition box, but all too often have lacked penetration once they're settled in possession in the final third.Across all five games at the tournament so far, England have completed just four through balls and four 'smart passes' - defined as creative, penetrative passes that deliberately try to break a defensive line.Most possession-based teams average a handful of these types of passes per game. Worse still, the two games in which England's passing volume has been at its highest - Ghana and Panama - saw the Three Lions manage zero and one through ball respectively.‌Set against England's 303 lateral - sideways - passes against Ghana, which accounted for nearly 50% of their total number, this offers a crystal-clear indication of the pattern of sterile domination we've witnessed when England have controlled possession at this tournament.The numbers weren't exactly boosted in the games against Croatia and Mexico where England had less time on the ball, racking up a grand total of one and zero through balls respectively, but that's because there was more space to run into on the transition.England didn't need a line-breaking pass to create a high-value shot against these opponents. But against a low block, when these types of passes are needed, they had no reliable means of manufacturing one.The identity of the players responsible speaks volumes. Morgan Rogers actually leads the England squad for through balls, playing two despite only featuring for 160 minutes, while Elliot Anderson has played more than double the number of passes into the final third per 90 (10.5) of any other player in the squad.‌It's a clear division of labour between Anderson and Declan Rice, whose final-third passes per 90 sits at just 2.6. But getting the ball into the final third hasn't been the problem - it's finding gaps once England get there.For that, England need their central playmaker to contribute more. Jude Bellingham has been a revelation at the tournament, scoring four times and picking up Player of the Match trophies for fun, but an improvement on just one through ball played so far across five matches for England's most gifted midfielder would help his side to create chances more regularly.Is a compromise needed?While it may not be exactly what Tuchel wants his ideal performance to be, there's an argument to be made that England should play to their strengths against Norway and avoid having to rely on this exact element of their game - one that's been sorely lacking.‌Norway dominated possession against Brazil, seeing 66% of the ball, but created just 1.05 xG. Of course, Erling Haaland doesn't need a lot of chances to find the net, but this Norway side have shown they are prepared to be patient.If England dominate the ball but struggle to find a breakthrough, one direct ball to the big man could be all it takes to end their tournament. Instead, England could look to contain Norway, starting one or both of their aerial defending experts - John Stones or big Dan Burn - and then hit them on the break, where the Three Lions have looked so lethal all tournament.This killer ability in transition is going to come in handy further down the line if they are to make it all the way to the final. It's certainly England's most reliable route to goal right now, and it might just be their best bet.‌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 NoticeContent cannot be displayed without consent