Time for Tuchel to show hand as England enter World Cup danger zone

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, England head coach Thomas Tuchel still has questions to answer as they start the World Cup group stage against DR Congo in Atlanta By Phil McNulty Chief football writer in Atlanta Published 4 minutes ago England head coach Thomas Tuchel describes the World Cup knockout stage as "the third chapter" in a story he hopes will end in the glory of a historic triumph. Tuchel explained that phase one of his stated mission to bring the trophy to England for the first time since 1966 was the preparation training camp in Miami, followed by qualification for the last 32 by topping Group L. "Chapter Two" was satisfactory rather than gripping, with wins against Croatia and Panama either side of a dismal goalless draw with Ghana. England have now entered dangerous territory where one slip or one below-par performance can bring Tuchel's tale to a painful end. They face DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday (17:00 BST), live on BBC TV, with warning signs already posted to the bigger nations that this is becoming the World Cup of shocks. Tuchel's players will at least be spared this city's brutal heat and stifling humidity by the closed roof and temperature control inside the space-age $1.6bn (£1.2bn) Atlanta Stadium. England's World Cup quest has so far been a case of "job done" - but now it all goes on the line in the sudden-death environment of knockout games. Tuchel will stick to Southgate's penalty plan Published 7 hours ago Bigger than Rumble in the Jungle? DR Congo bid for World Cup history Published 14 hours ago Tuchel cannot afford any mistakes To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Thomas Tuchel responds to criticism of recent performances Tuchel's team selections have been a mixture of tactical tinkering, working around injuries and managing minutes, as well as devising the formulas for England's progress. One key area stands out where England are vulnerable, where elite opponents will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing Tuchel's side. And that is in defence. "The area of the pitch you want stability in is your goalkeeper and back four," former England captain Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport. "With the back four we haven't had that." England's defensive frailty was flagged up before the tournament, especially the possibility of injuries to players such as Newcastle's Tino Livramento and Chelsea captain Reece James, who had both suffered regular problems. Livramento was ruled out even before the World Cup started, and while Tuchel expressed surprise about the hamstring injury James sustained against Croatia, few others were, given his history of such problems. It has left Tuchel's defensive selections exposed, especially at right-back, when James' deputy Jarell Quansah was injured against Panama, leaving England's resources even lighter. James and Quansah will both be missing against DR Congo, with Tuchel saying: "They are getting closer