England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in their World Cup opener was impressive on the scoreboard. It was less impressive at the back, and Thomas Tuchel knows it.

Ahead of England’s Group L clash against Ghana on June 23 at Gillette Stadium, Tuchel has made two notable defensive changes, handing Marc Guehi and Djed Spence their first starting opportunities of the tournament. The moves are a direct response to the defensive vulnerabilities that surfaced in the Croatia match.

A win would confirm England’s place in the knockout stages.

The tactical picture: what Tuchel is actually asking his defenders to do

Tuchel’s instructions to his back line ahead of the Ghana match center on one core idea: don’t retreat too early. Dropping into a deep defensive block prematurely is the kind of habit that invites pressure, compresses space, and hands the initiative to the opposition. Tuchel wants England to hold a higher line and maintain their shape without flinching when Ghana applies early pressure.

Ghana sets up in a compact, narrow defensive structure. Guehi and Spence are brought in specifically to provide the composure and positional awareness that setup demands. Spence, operating at right back, provides the width and recovery pace needed to manage the space Ghana’s narrow shape intentionally leaves on the flanks.

A narrow block pulls defenders inward, which theoretically opens channels wide. England have the personnel to exploit that, particularly with Harry Kane operating centrally and Jude Bellingham arriving late into those pockets of space.

Tuchel’s unbeaten record and what it means going into this match

Since taking charge of the England national team in 2025, Tuchel has not lost a match. That includes the entire World Cup qualifying campaign, which featured a 5-0 demolition of Latvia among the highlights.

The Croatia result was encouraging in attack, but conceding twice against Croatia is a data point Tuchel will not ignore. Bringing in Guehi and Spence signals that the defensive unit needs recalibrating before England face opposition with more cutting edge going forward.