England have struggled against low block - so should they use it to beat Mexico?

By

Football tactics correspondent

When England take to the field to face Mexico at the famous Azteca Stadium in their World Cup last-16 tie, they know they will be playing the conditions as well as their opponents.

It's no secret that the altitude in Mexico City is a problem for visiting teams, with the Azteca sitting around 7,220ft above sea level.

It means that England players may experience muscle fatigue earlier in the game than usual, with less oxygen in the air making it more difficult to breathe.

And it is in those conditions that Thomas Tuchel's side will have to solve the puzzle that is Javier Aguirre's impressive Mexico team, who have won every game they have played at the tournament so far without conceding a goal.

With so much at stake, England will be looking for any advantage to progress into the World Cup quarter final and while the low block has posed problems for the Three Lions during the tournament, could Tuchel now turn to it and use it to his team's benefit?

Facing Mexico is a tactical conundrum for even the best of coaches given the number of approaches they have used in the tournament so far – switching between four and five defenders, as well as alternating between dominating the ball higher up the pitch and defending deep to counter attack.

There are, however, a few things a coach can control prior to a game irrespective of the opponent and Tuchel might, in the words of Bayern Munich's assistant coach Rene Maric, choose to 'set the board' in order to outmaneuver the Mexicans.

"You can choose your defending strategy without regards to your opposition and be somewhat successful; barring huge differences in quality you will not be able to do the same offensively," said Maric.

"Basically, the defending team sets the board and the attacking team plays the game. For me, 'proactive' means acting with an intention of creating specific situations. This is harder to do when attacking"

And knowing that Mexico have a variety of styles they can play, 'setting the board' by taking a certain defensive approach could force their hand into playing a style that England can counter.

That is where the low block comes in.

England have struggled when faced with the low block during the tournament - most notably against a stubborn Ghana side who ground out a 0-0 draw with the Three Lions during the group stage.

So when looking to 'set the board' to give England the advantage in the last 16, it helps to identify Mexico's strengths with an idea on how to blunt them.

Mexico have throughout the tournament shown impressive quality in several key areas.

Their build-up play against Ecuador from goal-kick situations was effective, mirroring much of what worked for DR Congo against the Three Lions.

DR Congo built with a wide back four, the goalkeeper then becoming a fifth defensive player deep on the pitch. They also had one defensive midfielder sitting deep as another passing option.

Ahead of these players they ran hard, rotating into unusual positions, pulling England's man markers out of zones they were familiar with, before finding their dangerous direct attackers quickly – and high up the pitch.

This was almost the exact same blueprint Mexico used against Ecuador's high press to great success.

Both England and Ecuador used a 4-4-2 shape looking to apply pressure but with five players (including the goalkeeper) in the opposition's first line – the numerical disadvantage the pressing side had made it easy for the opposition to play around them.

Mexico actually used two holding midfielders in this 4-2-4 build-up shape which gives them another player deep compared to DR Congo.

England asked Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford in turns to step up to press alongside the front two to varying levels of success but the big distances they had to cover - now in high altitude conditions paired with Rice's reported hamstring pain - makes this a difficult solution to implement well, and especially at the start of the game.

Mexico's fast starts are another key strength England will be looking to nullify. In the first 15 minutes of both halves, they appear most dangerous in terms of possession, intensity and goal threat.

And Tuchel knows it.

Both the England head coach and midfielder Jordan Henderson acknowledged that they'll be up against a fast start, as well as the elements, when they take to the field.

Reflecting on the altitude of Mexico City, the German boss said: "We feel it. I felt a slight headache, didn't sleep as well, but nothing I can't handle.

"The players felt it in the first minute of the training, the longer it went on they adapted. It is not coincidence that Mexico starts matches here on the front foot, the first 15 minutes will be the toughest for us."

Henderson echoed this sentiment, admitting the first "10 minutes" of training proved to be a challenge.

And so 'setting the board' through a more measured defensive approach in this opening period might make sense for Tuchel's side.

The England press that DR Congo bypassed so easily cannot be exposed if Tuchel decides to employ a more passive shape out of possession.

This does not have to be with a back five either. In fact, a 4-5-1 makes a lot of sense in reducing the distances England's players have to run, while providing a good coverage of the width of the pitch and making the centre more crowded against Mexico's tricky midfielders.

We know a key facet of England's philosophy under Tuchel has been to entice an opposition's press before playing up the pitch quickly, hoping to find forwards against fewer defenders.

In Mexico City's demanding conditions it may be harder to make these deep runs as often so England will have to pick their moments. Playing too quickly, too early will result in turning the ball over more often, giving Mexico the chance to launch their own counter attack against a disorganised defence.

But England do not have to remove direct play from their game entirely.

By managing the space and speed of the game, they can pick their moments to release the likes of Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham.

If England do opt to play more slowly, they will also be hoping these 'boring' spells of play work to silence the Mexican home crowd.

The decision to pick a squad of similar profiles might be one of the more astute decisions Tuchel has made as England boss when it comes to this game too.

With a tactical plan in mind, making five substitutions that do not alter the dynamic of the game greatly, but instead reinforce the plan with freshness and energy as Mexico begin to tire could be the difference.

This could indeed be a match full of mini-games and picking moments in which to change things will be key.

Tuchel, as we've seen throughout his club career, and most recently against DR Congo, has a knack for getting mid-game tweaks right but the many variables of the game against Mexico make this one of his toughest challenges yet.