England’s cohesion data lays bare Tuchel’s left-side World Cup headache

England have reached the knockout stages of the World Cup, but data analysing the team’s on-pitch interactions suggests Thomas Tuchel’s promise to build “connections” and “chemistry” among his squad is yet to materialise, particularly down the left flank.

Before the tournament, Tuchel faced scrutiny over the make-up of his 26-man squad, with high-profile names such as Cole Palmer, Adam Wharton, Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden all left out. Defending his selection, Tuchel told the press: “I think from day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships, it is as simple as that. What we are trying to achieve in the summer can only be achieved as a team.”

According to cohesion figures compiled by Machine Football, which measure the relative strength of interactions between players compared with other teams at the tournament, England’s supposed collective understanding has not translated onto the pitch as hoped.

Left flank remains a problem

Tuchel has used eight different players across the four full-back and wing-back positions during the tournament, a level of rotation not helped by an injury to Reece James. The England boss was seen berating Djed Spence during the match against DR Congo, and has repeatedly voiced frustration over the lack of understanding on the left side of his side.

Speaking after a goalless draw with Ghana, Tuchel admitted the left-sided unit had regressed compared with a pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica. “The unit on the left side hasn’t provided the same quality as they did against Costa Rica,” he said. “They were so good, I saw the game against Costa Rica and thought: ‘OK, left side is solved, this unit, they find their link.'”

He continued: “Then Marcus came on the left side, together with Eberechi Eze and Djed Spence, and they did so well. So I thought: ‘Oh, we have two units. They know what they’re doing and they’re clicking.’ It turns out we played the first match and they’re not clicking, I’m not even sure why, but it was not the same amount of connection, not the same amount of penetration, not the same amount of verticality, and this was the same in the second match.”

What the numbers show

Nico O’Reilly has started all but one of England’s matches at left-back, yet Machine Football’s data shows he has not built up sufficient interactions with either Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford to generate a reliable cohesion score, with the interactions that have taken place rarely progressing play effectively.

Rashford’s numbers with key teammates also back up Tuchel’s public criticism. His cohesion score with Harry Kane stands at just 61.12 from ten interactions, while his fourteen interactions with Declan Rice – the midfielder who typically links play towards the left – have produced a score of only 52.38.

Pre-tournament projections had suggested far stronger attacking connections and better left-side chemistry than what has actually been seen in matches at the World Cup, underlining just how much cohesion has dropped off since England arrived in North America.

With England now preparing to face Mexico, Tuchel faces a pressing challenge: finding a settled left-sided combination that can deliver the “connections” and “verticality” he has spoken about, before the cracks in England’s cohesion are exposed by tougher opposition.

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