England player ratings: Rashford infuriating, Rogers anonymous, Anderson struggles but Bellingham brilliant | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham was the star for England yet again as Marcus Rashford, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers and Jarell Quansah toiled against Panama.

England were “struggling badly” in the first half especially but powered through to top Group L thanks largely to the brilliance of Bellingham.

Can he do a shift at right-back?

Jordan Pickford

There are more painless clean sheets in his England collection. An uncomfortably early comfortable save did account for half of his actual shot-stopping efforts as the openness of the defence in front of him caused consternation but didn’t actually translate to many meaningful non-offside chances.

Rashford was also much better in possession, and at hilariously needlessly losing his temper when he ran a good 15 yards outside his area to receive the ball in the first half, only to be ignored by a mildly confused Ezri Konsa.

Jarell Quansah

A starting right-back for England at a World Cup which, as Gary Neville said before the game, suggests that “something’s gone badly wrong”. It almost did a couple of times during the game when Quansah responded to some animated Pickford feedback about his pre-hydration break positioning by immediately being caught out of position for a Panama attack after the restart.

Quansah’s best defensive moments came on the left side of centre, which is both sub-optimal and slightly Kyle Walker-coded. And there was an inevitability about the injury sustained on the hour mark by a player who had starting launching himself into some really quite robust challenges.

He did not look like a player who should be starting at right-back in the knock-outs.

Ezri Konsa

Managed to avoid any preposterous penalty-adjacent lunges but Konsa continues to look rather shaky on this stage. His inability to deal properly with a high ball handed Panama their first of a dozen shots within the opening few seconds, and Saka was required to help out soon after as Konsa found his bearings.

Not sure any of the great many Panama opportunities thereafter can be traced back to a specific Konsa mistake, but he didn’t look confident or assured in dealing with them either, aside from one really good late block.

Marc Guehi

It is not a central-defensive partnership which evokes security or conviction. England are a bit of a mess defensively and Guehi is contributing to that problem rather than offering any proof he can help solve it.

Again, there wasn’t much he did specifically wrong, but equally not a great deal that immediately comes to mind in terms of what he did right. And Guehi does not have the Konsa excuse of having to play with a different, unfamiliar full-back to his side.

In fairness, Guehi’s long passing was excellent, especially the one that found Rashford in space down the left in the first half.

Nico O’Reilly

The best performer in that awkward England backline, often simply by virtue of defending proactively rather than reactively. O’Reilly was sharp, stepping into tackles before players could turn and run, before inexorably popping up in the opposition area to almost score with a header.

Jude Bellingham

The apologies will never be as loud as the disrespect but they really ought to be forthcoming for a player too many people spent too long pretending England might be better off without.

Bellingham was brilliant, the best player by some margin in a deeper role which really does suit his skillset. His underrated tackling – no player made more – meshes wonderfully with an unerring ability to win fouls, and is far better served when deployed a bit further back.

With at least twice as many chances created as any other team-mate, England have a duel-winning monster with exceptional attacking quality and an uncanny knack for delivering in big moments. With his team struggling to break down a stubborn, game defence, Bellingham rocked up with a goal and an assist to win a match in which he led for key passes, tackles and dribbles.

Elliot Anderson

Clearly half-fit and obviously distracted by the thought of what a Manchester City medical might entail, Anderson was not great. Panama passed and dribbled around a midfielder who was bypassed quite frequently.

It did not reflect particularly well when he surrendered possession on the byline for one of Panama’s better shooting chances either.

But Anderson was good on the ball, punching some really good passes through the lines and finding Rashford with a delightful first-half cross.

Morgan Rogers

It feels like every other forward conjured at least one moment of truly memorable quality, but Rogers was so thoroughly lost in the shuffle and proved why he probably shouldn’t start again for England this summer – unless he can put in a shift at right-back.

The defining moment of an anonymous performance was probably the five-yard pass played across the byline and out for a throw-in towards the end of the first half.

Bukayo Saka

Another player whose relatively low-key performance will be partially excused by his ongoing injury problems, Saka was given the usual service of being doubled or often tripled up on and it showed.

But even then, he found a way through a couple of times to force shots on goal, and it was his corner which ultimately unlocked Panama.

Harry Kane

That first half could be condensed into one moment: when Kane dropped to play the ball back first time when he could have turned and passed forward, then hit a switch out for a throw-in before the camera cut to Thomas Tuchel, mouth agape and heading furiously back to his seat in the dugout.

Even when he did belatedly get his chance from a Bellingham through ball it was met with a decidedly un-Kane finish, too central and a good height for the keeper rather than low and across goal.

But England’s greatest World Cup goalscorer persisted; the movement for his header was majestical centre-forward play.

Marcus Rashford

An infuriating display, only made more so by how brilliant Rashford’s opening ten minutes was.

A lofted pass into Bellingham, a cut inside to force a bright low save from the keeper and a sublime touch to bring a long Guehi pass down over his shoulder to win a corner must have had Anthony Gordon squirming.

But for the rest of the game Rashford insisted on making the wrong decision. The amount of times he dribbled when he should have crossed, or shot when he should have passed, was preposterous by the end.

Rashford had five shots (the most of any player), but only one was on target. He put in six crosses but none were accurate enough to find a team-mate. It was preferable to the nothingness offered by the left-sided English forward Barcelona did want, but a different kind of frustrating nonetheless.

On the bright side, Lee Dixon thought he had a decent game in net.

SUBSTITUTES

Djed Spence (on for Quansah, 63)

The player upon whom England’s World Cup hopes and dreams entirely hinge. Spence was broadly fine and should at least be given some input into whether he is covered in cottonwool or bubblewrap for the next few weeks.

Noni Madueke (on for Saka, 63)

Looked absolutely okay. Nearly scored, and put in a great cross which Rashford ought to have done better with late on.

Eberechi Eze (on for Bellingham, 71)

Nearly fulfilled the Ruben Loftus-Cheek role of having one of his shots deflect wildly into the net in the World Cup against Panama.

Jordan Henderson (on for Anderson, 84)

Became the first player to represent England at seven major tournaments, an achievement marked by a bollocking from Pickford for his role in the disallowed Panama goal. And it was, in fairness, a choice to give Martinez five yards to turn and pass instead of pressing him.

Ollie Watkins (on for Kane, 84)

Opened up a six-minute lead over Ivan Toney in the race to give Kane as much rest as possible.