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Does anyone know what happened to the low block? After all the talk about the challenges of breaking down a grim back seven, the bigger worry for Thomas Tuchel in New Jersey was Panama’s lack of fear. There was no sign of the underdogs borrowing from the Carlos Queiroz playbook against an anxious England, who are starting to give off the distinct whiff of a team whose World Cup is destined to end in a calamity of some sort in the knockouts.

Make no mistake: England will be going home if they continue to defend like this against anyone with a functioning attack. Tuchel will not be fooled. Although his team secured top spot in Group L by wearing down Panama in the end, an achievement mainly down to Jude Bellingham again stepping up with two moments of class after a skittish first half, England were far from convincing and spent long spells demonstrating that anyone who thought an unusually gung-ho lineup would provide a vision of a post-Declan Rice world was sorely mistaken.

Tuchel’s reaction to the Ghana stalemate was to frontload the attack, to leave Elliot Anderson as the only shield in front of a panicked back four. It felt light and breezy before kick-off. The big question was whether Tuchel had taken inspiration from Lee Carsley. Was it going to be fun? Were England about to wow the world by blending Carsball with Germanic control? Was there even any need for Rice any more? At last: an England manager who was finally ready to lift the handbrake and put all the fun guys on the pitch.

If only international football were that easy. Panama are handy. They have made huge strides since losing 6-1 to England at the 2018 World Cup. They reached the quarter-finals of the Copa América in 2024 and have become an awkward proposition under Thomas Christiansen.

Croatia and Ghana took time to find a way through Panama’s defence. Tuchel expected this to be a slog. He said England would struggle to create overloads. He did not sound like a manager who expected Panama to open up.

Tuchel’s tactics were geared towards opening the low block. With Rice on a booking and resting a knock before the last 32, Bellingham dropped back into the No 8 position. Morgan Rogers came in to play behind Harry Kane as the No 10. The spots on the flanks went to Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford.

England were fluid at first, with Kane dropping off and Nico O’Reilly inverting from left-back. Bellingham pushed on and the wingers stayed wide. Yet Panama did not stick to the script. They pressed and probed. Already certain of finishing bottom of the group, they had a go and found frailties in England’s defence.

Panama used clever triangles to pass round England’s midfield and move between the lines. Bellingham worked hard and made some important tackles but his natural instinct is to go forward. It meant Anderson was often exposed, showing that England simply do not function as a team if Rice is missing.

Tuchel needs Rice to be ready for the knockouts. The vice-captain is weary after a gruelling domestic season. He had to be replaced when England were leading 3-2 in their opening game against Croatia and has since confirmed he has been struggling with a hamstring problem.

There is always an idea that playing an extra attacker is the fix whenever England toil in the final third. Yet Tuchel’s selection against Panama was surely a one-off. The structure disappears if Rice is taken out of midfield. England need his physicality and positional awareness. They need Rice to bring order and stability. They will not survive without him against a top side.

Tuchel’s defence needs protection. England were fragile against Croatia. They were fortunate not to concede a penalty against Ghana and could have conceded against Panama.

There were times when José Luis Rodríguez was the best No 7 on the pitch. He almost left Saka in the shade. Rodríguez got in down the left to force a save from Jordan Pickford in an anxious opening period. He whipped a shot narrowly over with the game goalless at the start of the second half.

Rodríguez gave Jarell Quansah a tough time. Quansah replaced the injured Reece James at right-back and had a difficult World Cup debut. The former Liverpool defender was asked to pull into a back three when England had the ball but he struggled to move across out of possession and went off injured just before Bellingham opened the scoring.

Bellingham covered up the cracks, crossing for Kane to make it 2-0 and move past Gary Lineker as England’s highest World Cup goalscorer. Yet Panama continued to create. They caused problems for England’s centre-backs, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guéhi, and O’Reilly had difficulties on the left.

Tuchel has issues to fix before England play in Atalanta on Wednesday. Scrutiny over his defensive choices will not go away. Why take not one but two injury-prone right-backs? Is John Stones fit enough to play in central defence or is he joining Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson as one of the vibes guys? Why does the squad contain six centre-backs and only one fit attacking full-back? Pickford, Spence, Konsa, Rogers and Henderson argued among themselves after Panama had a late goal disallowed for offside.

England won because of Bellingham but they have to hope that Rice is raring to go now. Otherwise the defence will be their undoing.