Aston Villa: Ezri Konsa fears backed up as media react to World Cup display
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa put in an unusually uncomfortable performance for England on Wednesday.
Starting England's first match of the World Cup against Croatia, Konsa was paired with Manchester City's John Stones at the back.
England would win 4-2 in Dallas, but the pair never quite looked to have things under control.
Thomas Tuchel's side would be pegged back twice in the first half, with both goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa coming from a lack of defensive solidity.
Things would improve in the second half, though suspicions have been raised ahead of the second match against Ghana next Tuesday.
Marc Guehi would come off the bench on Wednesday, and could be in line to replace either Konsa or Stones next time out in Boston.
Strong reactions issued as Ezri Konsa slips up vs Croatia
Since Tuchel's 2025 arrival, only Harry Kane has registered more minutes in an England shirt than Konsa.
A favourite of Tuchel's, it has been easy to imagine him starting the tournament for over a year at this point.
However, the reactions have been quite strong after making his World Cup debut.
In their player ratings, The Telegraph would award him a five, the same as partner Stones, before they called upon recent comments from Prince William.
"Prince William called him a Rolls-Royce defender," read the article. "But the Aston Villa centre-back was in reverse for Croatia's second goal - backing into his own penalty area to invite opponents forward. It was a poor goal to concede from a defensive point of view and Konsa was untroubled before that point."
The Guardian would offer an improved rating of six, saying: "Struggled in the first half. Improved after break but his place could come under pressure from Marc Guehi."
Similar thoughts would be echoed by The Independent, who gave the same rating with a slightly more positive tone.
"The centre-back was beaten too easily by the chipped pass into Ivan Perisic for Peter Musa's goal but grew in confidence as the match went on," the review read.
England have the the weekend and two days either side of it to prepare for their second match against Ghana, with the centre-back positions now set to be a slight conundrum ahead of the trip to Boston.
What comes next for Konsa after opening England display?
Despite a shaky performance in the first half, things would improve drastically for both Konsa and Stones.
After a rather chaotic end to the first half, a slight switch at half-time saw a different zip about England's passing, reducing the pressure on the centre-backs after being caught out in possession.
However, the concern does still somewhat remain should these gaps elsewhere leave the pair vulnerable again at another point in the tournament.
In all, Konsa and Stones can take pride in the second-half reaction, but one of their spots could well be up for grabs on Tuesday, with Tuchel having to choose between a player he adores in Konsa, or Stones' experience, regarding who drops out for Guehi.