Keane likens Tuchel's England to Scotland after toothless Panama stalemate

Roy Keane savaged England’s first-half performance against Panama, comparing Thomas Tuchel’s side to Scotland after the Three Lions failed to break down a team ranked 34th in the world, going into the interval goalless.

Keane, watching England labour through a half of pop shots and half-chances, drew a pointed parallel with Scotland’s dismal showing in their final two group games against Morocco and Brazil — performances that left the Tartan Army on the brink of elimination.

“They are certainly lacking that intensity and sometimes, particularly in this game, when you are playing a team with a lot less quality you are going to get dragged down to their level and that is what England kind of seem to have done,” Keane said.

“They’re not showing their quality, their top players have not turned up and the key for any team is your end product and they look well short at the moment. You think of what we saw France do, their quality, wide players producing. The players who have the quality are not showing it, a real lack of quality.”

Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United and former Barcelona forward, was England’s most dangerous outlet, with captain Harry Kane isolated against a stubborn Central American defence. The display threatened to echo England’s earlier drab stalemate with Ghana, a game that exposed the side’s over-reliance on Kane when he is starved of service.

The Panama match marked a second consecutive half in which Tuchel’s side failed to impose themselves on lower-ranked opposition. England had required a half-time intervention to spark a response against Croatia in their group opener, and the familiar pattern of sluggish starts resurfaced here, raising questions about the team’s ability to control games against defensively organised sides.