England ratings: Lacklustre display as same selection problem plagues Tuchel

England were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana following a tepid and lacklustre performance from Thomas Tuchel's squad throughout.

The Three Lions struggled to break down the low block of Ghana and were forced to wait until the 57th minute before registering their first shot on target.

Tuchel searched for a reaction after making five substitutes - with one of them in the form of Nico O'Reilly coming closest when his header hit the bar - but were ultimately forced to settle for a point on an evening where they looked off the pace in Boston.

Here, Sky Sports rates all 16 players following the disappointing performance...

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Jordan Pickford - 5

A bystander for most of the fixture and was not forced into making a save but was very, very lucky to get away with a rash challenge on the edge of his box, which could have swayed a tight fixture in Ghana's favour.

Pickford raced out of his area and collided with Prince Adu when the Ghana forward raced through on goal. Luckily for him and England, the referee sided with the goalkeeper.

His performance came under scrutiny against Croatia and despite only being involved in flashes, his decision-making in that moment should also be questioned.

Reece James - 5

Started the game with early promise after combining well with Noni Madueke down the right but that influence quickly faded as England's struggles became more prominent.

Tuchel opted to keep James on and take Spence off in the second half, meaning the Chelsea defender has now played two full games ahead of the third game. Doubts could be raised about him playing every minute of all three group stage games.

Ezri Konsa - 4

Another player who was very, very lucky to escape a potentially result-defining decision in the game. Konsa was clumsy in his challenge on Prince Adu when the forward raced into the penalty area, bundling him to the ground from behind, but was saved by a confusing offside flag, drawing play to an end.

VAR did not appear to check the incident and Konsa's blushes were spared.

Marc Guehi - 5

Centre back pairings were at the heart of the discussion but this game will leave supporters, and possibly Tuchel, wondering if John Stones was the right call after all.

Guehi had more touches than any other player (143) but doesn't possess the same qualities as Stones in helping to break teams down.

His header that was cleared off the line would have eased the discussions post-match but expect the centre back conversation to be at the forefront of everyone's thinking ahead of Panama once again.

Djed Spence - 5

A shock inclusion from Tuchel and it was an experiment that did not pay off. Spence, who is a natural right-back but can play on the left, tended to drift infield and encroach on the space of players such as Declan Rice, hindering England's momentum and contributing to a disjointed performance.

Not having a left-footer at left back brings familiar problems for England, after playing Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier in the role across years gone by. England missed the overlapping runs of O'Reilly and the threat he possesses in the box, too.

Elliot Anderson - 5

Anderson is an all-action midfielder but England needed more from him in this fixture. He was clumsy in his defensive work at times and needed to be braver with his passing to progress the team forward.

He had 91 touches of the ball, completing 89 per cent of his 74 passes, but more of them needed to be directed at Harry Kane, who only got on the ball 19 times.

Declan Rice - 5

Rice was another player falling short of his usual standards in this game.

England's set-piece prowess was clear to see against Croatia; it was a crucial avenue needed to restore their lead with Harry Kane's header on that evening. Rice's delivery in Boston was short of his previous standards and in a game where England created as little as they did, chances from those situations were crucial.

Noni Madueke - 6

Madueke linked up well with James down the right in the early stages of the game but his influence quickly fizzled out as time went on.

The Arsenal winger was always a stopgap inclusion while Bukayo Saka got to full fitness but games like this one highlight just how much they need him back on the right wing.

Madueke would eventually switch to the left wing when Saka was introduced and looked more comfortable when crossing on his stronger foot. A good chance for the opener came when the two combined in that manner, but Saka failed to keep his header down.

Jude Bellingham - 7

Like much of the England team, Bellingham failed to have his usual influence on proceedings but tried desperately to step up when needed and spark his team into life.

The Real Madrid man, who fired England ahead against Croatia to guide them to victory, was ushered away from the ball at every given opportunity and saw his only chance on goal smothered by a logjam of defenders when the space opened up.

His well-timed sliding challenge on Antoine Semenyo, as the only defender back to deal with the counter, raised the volume from the England fans when it was duly needed. It wasn't his day but the effort levels were there.

Anthony Gordon - 4

Given the nod ahead of Marcus Rashford, who had a lingering hamstring issue, but squandered another chance to impress in the starting line-up.

The newly-signed Barcelona forward struggled to get the beating of Ghana right-back Marvin Senaya and even failed to track the defender in his own box, as he threatened to give his side the lead.

Gordon finally got into the game and recorded England's first shot on target in the 57th minute but was withdrawn shortly after. England need a lot more from their wide players and Gordon has failed to impress on two occasions now.

If Rashford is fit, he needs to start against Panama.

Harry Kane - 4

A bystander for much of the fixture and should have won it for England with less than five minutes to go in the game. After Nico O'Reilly's header cannoned off the bar, the ball fell into the path of Kane from point-blank range.

In usual circumstances and considering his performance against Croatia, there is no other player you want in that scenario. However, Kane, like much of the England team, was off the pace in this game. His shot ballooned over the bar.

An uncharacteristic miss on an uncharacteristic evening for the striker.

Substitutes

Nico O'Reilly - 7

A shock exclusion in the starting line-up after being replaced by Spence but very nearly had the perfect introduction after climbing off the bench in the second half.

The left-back possesses a rare threat from that position with his runs into the box and saw his header crash off the bar, after coming close on two occasions against Croatia, but it wasn't to be.

Bukayo Saka - 6

Substituted on in the second half and almost had an immediate impact after latching onto Madueke's cross but couldn't keep the header down.

Saka posed a threat that England lacked throughout the game and highlighted just how important he is for their chances to go all the way this summer.

After his header ballooned over the bar, he cut in on his favoured left foot and forced Benjamin Asare into one of just three saves on the night.

Tuchel said the Panama game is the fixture we could see Saka start in and after a performance like this from the Three Lions, it is desperately needed.

Morgan Rogers - 5

Rogers was brought on to replace Bellingham as England frantically searched for an avenue to break the deadlock but failed to grab his chance to impress in the role.

He had just nine touches of the ball in 17 minutes and failed to live up to the 'finisher' tag that Tuchel had spoken about in the build-up to this tournament.

Eberechi Eze - 4

Eze's introduction came to be as England looked for an increased attacking threat but it almost had the opposite effect when he was shrugged off the ball by Issahaku Fatawu, leading to a Ghana counterattack.

Adu then raced into the box and as previously noted, was brought down by Konsa before he could shoot. Eze's error in possession would be discussed in further depth had that situation ended in a penalty for Ghana, which it likely should have, but he escapes the limelight.

What will be equally as worrying for Tuchel is the lack of impact that players like Eze and Rogers had after being introduced, with the tepid display continuing despite a change in personnel.

Marcus Rashford - 6

Rashford was substituted on in the 83rd minute and had little time to make the same impact that he had against Croatia.

He picked up a slight hamstring issue after the first game and his limited role in this draw most likely indicates he was not fully fit.

However, this was a game where England needed his pace, threat and prowess in the final third. It was a game that lacked quality and Rashford offers that in abundance whenever he takes to the field.