Gary Neville urges England to make two defensive changes against Ghana

Gary Neville believes Thomas Tuchel should make two changes to England's defence for their upcoming World Cup clash with Ghana despite the Three Lions opening the tournament with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia.

England produced one of the standout performances of the competition so far, recovering from a difficult first half to overwhelm Croatia after the break.

Harry Kane scored twice, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also found the net in a statement victory that placed England in a strong position in Group L.

However, Neville still believes there is room for improvement.

Speaking after England's opening victory, the former Manchester United defender suggested Marc Guehi and Djed Spence should both be considered for starting roles against Ghana.

Neville feels the athleticism and defensive qualities of both players could be crucial against a Ghana side packed with pace and direct attacking threats. "I do expect changes."

"Ghana have got Antoine Semenyo, they've got Brandon Thomas-Asante, they've got players who can play one-vs-one, who are mobile."

The former England international specifically highlighted Guehi's ability to handle physical duels and defensive transitions.

"So I do think Guehi coming in makes sense."

Spence also received strong praise following his substitute appearance against Croatia.

"I thought Spence was excellent when he came on against Croatia."

Despite scoring four goals, England did concede twice against Croatia and occasionally looked vulnerable when exposed defensively.

Tuchel himself admitted after the match that he was unhappy with aspects of his team's first-half performance.

Neville believes those defensive issues could prompt changes ahead of the next fixture.

"The two goals conceded will have unnerved them a little bit."

"I think it will make Thomas Tuchel adjust maybe for games two and three and think slightly differently about how he plays that defence and looks at protecting them."

One player Neville does not expect to start every match is John Stones.

The experienced defender remains a key figure within the squad, but Neville feels squad management will become increasingly important as the tournament progresses.

Few players enhanced their reputation more against Croatia than Spence.

The full-back impressed both defensively and offensively after entering the match and nearly marked his appearance with a goal.

Neville was particularly impressed by his defensive aggression. "I think he's like a leech when he defends.
He's very aggressive in his work and he's got a great tenacity about him."

While Neville sees room for defensive changes, he believes one selection issue has already been resolved.

There had been significant discussion before the tournament regarding whether Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers should occupy England's advanced midfield role.

Following Bellingham's outstanding display against Croatia, Neville believes the Real Madrid star has reaffirmed his status as an automatic starter.

"He's a superstar. There's no doubt Bellingham has to start."

The midfielder scored England's crucial third goal and dominated large periods of the game both in and out of possession.

Neville described him as arguably England's best player on the night.

England face Ghana on Tuesday knowing a second victory could effectively secure qualification for the knockout stages.

Tuchel must now decide whether to reward strong performances from his substitutes or retain faith in the side that eventually overwhelmed Croatia.

Given the demanding schedule of a World Cup, rotation appears inevitable at some stage.

The only question is whether Tuchel chooses to make those adjustments now or later in the group stage.

Should Thomas Tuchel keep faith with his winning defence, or does Gary Neville have a point about bringing Marc Guehi and Djed Spence into the starting XI?