Owen: England unfairly criticized for draw, would be praised for a win

According to the Daily Mail, the reaction to England's 0-0 draw with Ghana has been disproportionately negative. Owen believes this match will not derail England's FIFA World Cup campaign, and with 4 points, the team remains in a strong position.

Owen said: "At times like these, we should all take a step back. I woke up Wednesday morning to a lot of negativity, but I really think some perspective is needed here.

"Was it a great performance? No. Was it disappointing? Absolutely. But some of the reaction sounds like England's World Cup campaign has collapsed overnight. As someone who played in three World Cups, I can tell you the tournament simply doesn't work that way.

"The biggest mistake fans and commentators make is assuming every game follows the same pattern. You see England beat Croatia 4-0 and expect them to score four against Ghana, but football doesn't work like that, especially in major tournaments.

"In 2002, we drew our first game against Sweden, and everyone was frustrated. Days later we beat Argentina, and suddenly people were talking about winning the trophy. Then we drew 0-0 with Nigeria, and the doubters reappeared. In 1998, we lost to Romania in the group stage and everyone questioned everything, then we beat Colombia.

"Even at the last World Cup, Argentina lost their opening match to Saudi Arabia but ended up winning the tournament. That's why I find it hard to accept such a strong backlash after a disappointing performance."

Ghana came to defend. They packed men behind the ball and sat deep. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. People underestimate how difficult these matches are, but defensive encounters like this are not where World Cups are won or lost.

The decisive matches against stronger opponents are a different proposition. You need to judge the team on those games. In the final moments, had Kane scored another goal, it would have been 1-0, and everyone would have praised England's patience.

Instead, too many people want to immediately reassess this team. As a player, your mentality doesn't work that way. Top players are very good at compartmentalizing performances. You have to be. Missed chances, poor games, bad results—they all go in a box, stay there, and you move on. If every setback leads to self-doubt, you simply cannot survive at the highest level.

The players won't be sitting in their hotel rooms thinking they're the worst team. They'll remind themselves they scored four goals last game; that they have world-class strikers; that they have four points from two matches. This is actually a very healthy position. If someone had offered this scenario to England before the tournament started, considering this group is tougher than most, you would have accepted it.

I think there's another reason for the overreaction. This 48-team format is surprisingly forgiving. The days when a single loss could eliminate a strong team are gone. England has almost qualified. If anything, now is the best time to have an off day.

I'm not overly concerned about starting-lineup debates either. I've heard endless discussions about who should start. This World Cup will ultimately be won by the team that best utilizes its substitutes. In these conditions, having fresh legs is crucial, especially against tired defenders. The idea that a single starting-lineup decision can instantly transform England is unfounded.

But these debates will continue—Rashford versus Anthony Gordon, Saka versus Madueke, individual criticism will emerge. How should the players and team respond?

We're not at that point yet, but the dressing room could start telling themselves the outside world doesn't understand them, that they're fighting against everyone. A siege mentality could develop. But I don't think that's necessary right now.

Just last week, the players were singing "Wonderwall" with the fans, and after beating Panama this weekend, they'll likely do it again. I like that—embrace the mood, enjoy it.

But the message Tuchel will likely convey after the Ghana match will be simple: 4 points, clean sheet, top of the group, mission almost accomplished. I suspect the atmosphere in the dressing room is far more positive than the outside reaction suggests.

This is typical in major tournaments. The outside world fluctuates with each match, but players and coaches must look ahead.

I do think substitutions could have been made earlier against Ghana—that's a lesson for the future. But England was not dominated; they controlled most of the game.

They still have one of the strongest squads in this tournament and are fully capable of going very far. This potential shouldn't be overlooked because of one underwhelming afternoon.

I wrote in my Saturday column that it would be absurd to criticize Cristiano Ronaldo for not scoring in his first game.

In fact, I predicted he'd respond with a hat-trick against Uzbekistan. Well, I was wrong—he only scored two!

But we've seen what he's truly capable of, and we will again. Cristiano Ronaldo will be motivated by this negativity, which is good news for Portugal.

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