England was held to a goalless draw by Ghana in its second World Cup group stage match, with Michael Owen urging fans to keep perspective, as Eberechi Eze echoed positivity from inside the camp
11:17, 25 Jun 2026Updated 11:21, 25 Jun 2026
Michael Owen has offered his thoughts
Michael Owen has offered his thoughts(Image: Getty Images)
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen believes the England squad will maintain a positive outlook despite the World Cup setback against Ghana.
The Three Lions were held to a frustrating goalless stalemate against their Group L opponents. The draw dampened England's spirits following the team's impressive 4-2 triumph over Croatia in its opening World Cup fixture in the United States. Nonetheless, Thomas Tuchel's men remain strong favorites to top the group, with only Panama standing between them and the knockout stages.
Disappointment was palpable after the deadlock with Ghana. Jude Bellingham openly stated he didn't merit the man of the match accolade he received, while external observers questioned England's ability to unlock stubborn defensive setups.
However, Owen reckons Tuchel's players aren't in need of adopting a bunker mentality just yet. Rather, they'll simply be taking stock of their advantageous position.
"Inside the camp, I suspect there was a lot more positivity than there has been on the outside," Owen told Mail Online.
"We're not here yet, far from it, but a dressing room starts telling itself that outsiders don't understand, that it's them against the world. You develop a siege mentality. For now, though, I don't think that's necessary.
England drew with Ghana on Tuesday
England drew with Ghana on Tuesday(Image: Getty Images)
"Trust me, the players will not be sitting in their hotel rooms thinking, 'Oh, I'm the worst player, and we're the worst team.' They'll be reminding themselves they scored four goals in their previous game.
"They'll be reminding themselves they have world-class attackers. They'll be reminding themselves they already have four points from two matches. And so they should."
Owen is calling for everyone to maintain composure and perspective, pushing back against the pessimism that followed the Ghana match. "We all need to calm down a little when it comes to the reaction to England's goalless draw with Ghana," he said.
"I've been there, I've lived it, and one game this early in the World Cup changes nothing. I woke up to a lot of negativity on Wednesday, but I really think we need a bit of perspective here. Was it a brilliant performance? No. Was it disappointing? Of course.
"But some of the fallout would have you believe England's challenge has fallen apart overnight. Having played in three World Cups, I can tell you that tournaments simply don't work like that."
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Eberechi Eze appears to validate Owen's perspective. The Arsenal ace has disclosed that the players are adopting a balanced approach to the competition, refusing to become overly emotional in either direction as they concentrate on achieving success.
"It's a long journey," Eze said. "You can't be too high, you can't be too low. "You've got to trust in what you're doing in the present moment. We're trying to do that, we're trying to enjoy it as much as we can, and being confident of what's to come.
"I'm trusting that what we've been doing, how we've been playing will put us in a good position to win the group, and as long as we hold onto that, that's the main thing."