Shearer, Rooney and others weigh in as England prepare for Norway World Cup quarter-final

England fell short at the World Cup once again (Picture: Getty/Metro) Despite a manager who promised something different, for England it was another tournament that ended in an all-too familiar fashion.While victory over France on Saturday secured the Three Lions’ best World Cup finish since 1966, disappointment still hangs in the air after England’s crushing semi-final defeat to Argentina.A heroic victory over Mexico at the Azteca in the last-16 will stick long in the memory for those who stayed up into the early hours back home.But ultimately, it was another major tournament where the Three Lions never quite reached their full potential before falling at one of the final hurdles. Exclusive World Cup final analysis Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. And as the dust settles, Metro has examined Thomas Tuchel and his 26-man squad with a fine-tooth comb to rate their performances from this World Cup.The manager Thomas Tuchel cost England in the semi-finals (Picture: Getty) Thomas Tuchel – 5.5A chaotic ten-goal thriller against France should only briefly ease the pressure on the Germans’ shoulders. Having promised to build an England side who would rise to the challenge against the world’s best, he then orchestrated his side’s late demise against Argentina with a slew of baffling changes.Apart from periods against Croatia and the first half against France, fans rarely saw the high-energy, attacking team that was promised to them. Conditions played their part, but Tuchel will have no doubt learned plenty of lessons from his first major international tournament.GoalkeepersJordan Pickford – 6.5 Jordan Pickford had a mixed tournament (Picture: Getty) An up-and-down tournament from England’s first-choice goalkeeper in what could be his third and last World Cup. Made some crucial saves as England held on against Mexico, but also let himself down when conceding the opener at his near post versus DR Congo.May have a fight on his hands to hold on to the gloves in the coming years, with Dean Henderson and James Trafford waiting in the wings.Dean Henderson – 6Got his first World Cup appearance in a chaotic third-place play-off against France. Made some sharp stops in the first half, but could do little to prevent the French onslaught in the second period. James Trafford – N/AOne of two players not to feature for Thomas Tuchel’s side this summer. Will no doubt be a big part of future squads to come.DefendersReece James – 6One of Tuchel’s main men in qualifying, but didn’t quite live up to that billing at the tournament itself. Impressed off the bench against Norway in the quarter-final, but his injury problems, which saw him miss games against DR Congo and Mexico, continue to be a problem in intense and jam-packed tournaments such as this one.Djed Spence – 7 Djed Spence was excellenet against Argentina (Picture: Getty) Struggled against Ghana in his first start of the tournament, but only grew in confidence from there. Ultimately more than justified his selection as a versatile, energetic full-back with his cameo appearance against Norway and impressive displays against Argentina and France. His inch-perfect sliding tackle to prevent Giuliano Simeone’s shot in the semi-final will live long in the memory.Nico O’Reilly – 6Came close to scoring with a late header against Ghana but otherwise failed to provide enough attacking threat down England’s left flank. Looked nervy at times when faced with one-on-one defensive situations, which perhaps is why he was dropped for Spence against Argentina.John Stones – 6.5Looked unconvincing in England’s opener against Croatia and was ultimately dropped for the next three matches. Helped see England over the line against Mexico and was superb keeping Erling Haaland quiet in the quarter-finals. Not quite the defender he was in his prime but played his part.Marc Guehi – 7A surprise omission from England’s starting lineup against Croatia but he played almost every minute after that and was probably England’s most consistent defender. The player who Tuchel needs to build his defence around moving forward.Ezri Konsa – 7 Ezri Konsa showed his versatility (Picture: PA) Unlucky not to start the semi-final, but his strength and versatility were greatly valued throughout the tournament as England had to chop and change their defensive set-up. Superb rearguard action to help the Three Lions get over the line against Mexico.Dan Burn – 6Probably didn’t expect to play as many minutes as he did, but played his role to perfection. A cult hero for his cameo as England held on against Mexico before repeating the trick a few days later against Norway.Jarell Quansah – 4Was solid against Panama when asked to start out of position at right-back, but will have his campaign remembered only for his rash tackle and subsequent sending off at the Azteca Stadium, which nearly cost England.Trevoh Chalobah – 3A late replacement for Tino Livramento but only saw the pitch for a few minutes in added time against France.MidfieldersDeclan Rice – 6 Declan Rice struggled with injury and illness (Picture: Getty) Not his fault, but a gruelling season with Arsenal and illness midway through the tournament reduced Rice to a shadow of his usual self. Notched up a goal and an assist against France when captaining the side, but England badly missed his energy and all-action capabilities in the crucial knockout matches before that.Elliot Anderson – 8Perhaps England’s most underappreciated player at this tournament. Neither the altitude of Azteca nor the searing heat of Miami could hamper his energy and will to get about the pitch. So often the first man to press the opponent in transition, and underrated in his ability to keep England ticking over and moving forward in possession. A superb first major tournament for the new Manchester City midfielder.Eberechi Eze – 6Afforded few opportunities, but did struggle to make an impact when brought on at half-time against Norway. Impressed when given a start in a deeper role against France, providing a superb assist for Saka’s second, but was always going to find regular minutes hard given the calibre of players ahead of him in the pecking order.Morgan Rogers – 6.5Somewhat of a bit-part player despite the pre-tournament chatter that suggested he might start over Bellingham. Quiet when he did start against Panama, but was superb off the bench against Norway and provided an excellent assist for Gordon’s goal in the semi-final.Jude Bellingham – 9.5 Jude Bellingham was England’s shining light (Picture: Getty) Difficult to know what more the Real Madrid star could have done to try and drag this England side into their first final since 1966. Scored seven goals at this World Cup, the most by an England player at any major tournament, including match-winning braces against Mexico and Norway.Ran himself into the ground to help England prevail against Mexico and Norway, and rounded off his tournament with a superb solo goal to seal victory against France. England’s standout player, and perhaps a captain-in-waiting when Harry Kane steps aside.Jordan Henderson – 3Just six minutes of action against Panama before his tournament was ended by a freak injury falling over advertising hoardings at the Azteca. Most likely fulfilled his role as an elder statesman in camp, but had limited impact on the pitch.Kobbie Mainoo – N/ANo doubt a hugely frustrating tournament for the Manchester United midfielder. His impressive form under Michael Carrick saw secure a late spot in Tuchel’s squad but ultimately didn’t get on the pitch, with a back injury denying him minutes in England’s final game against France. One to forget, but he’ll no doubt be back next time.ForwardsBukayo Saka – 6.5 Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in the Bronze final (Picture: Reuters) Like his Arsenal teammate Rice, he was quite clearly not fully fit for this tournament. Tuchel carefully managed his minutes throughout the competition, but Saka still showed what he is capable of with three assists before a superb hat-trick against France in the bronze final. Unfathomable that he remained on the bench for the duration of England’s semi-final.Noni Madueke – 5Got more minutes and starts than perhaps was expected given Saka’s fitness issues, but did not take the opportunity at all. Impressed in the first game versus Croatia when he stretched play well and won England’s penalty, but was too often wasteful with his final delivery.Can still have a role in Tuchel’s side but plenty of room for improvement.Anthony Gordon – 7.5Grew superbly into the tournament after a poor first performance against Croatia. A difference-maker off the bench against DR Congo with two assists before winning a penalty and running himself into the ground against Mexico.Took his moment when it came in the semi-final against Argentina with a superb finish. Marcus Rashford – 5.5Took his goal well against Croatia but failed to follow that up when handed starts against Panama and DR Congo. Gordon’s form saw him barely feature towards the closing stages of the knockouts apart from the briefest cameo in added time against Argentina. Looked sharp when starting against France in what was quite possibly his final World Cup appearance – not the tournament he would have wanted.Harry Kane – 8.5 Harry Kane is now England’s record scorer at a World Cup (Picture: Getty) Six goals and now the record scorer for England at a World Cup. Tuchel built his team around getting the best out of their captain, and it almost worked. Looked like an exhausting tournament just caught up with him towards the closing stages of the semi-final when his country needed one more heroic effort.A sad way to go out if it is to be his last World Cup, but he will no doubt believe he can still play a massive part in a home Euros in two years.Ivan Toney – 4Was largely brought for his penalty-taking ability, which was never needed. Thrown on in the dying moments against Argentina to no avail and failed to get in on the act when England ran riot against France in the first half of their bronze final.Ollie Watkins – 4Featured quite heavily in Euro 2024 as Kane’s deputy but did not have the same opportunities this time around. Two substitute appearances and very little to write home about for the Aston Villa forward.For more stories like this, check our sport page.Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Man Utd legend and ex-England defender Gary Neville (Picture: YouTube) Gary Neville has explained why Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was a ‘massive problem’ for England at the World Cup.England were dreaming of ending 60 years of hurt out in the United States but suffered a semi-final defeat to Argentina.Thomas Tuchel’s side had one foot in the final after taking the lead against Argentina, only to concede two late goals in a heartbreaking defeat.Tuchel has faced huge criticism for England’s approach in the semi-final, although he did lead the Three Lions to their best World Cup finish since 1966 after winning the third-place play-off against France. Exclusive World Cup final buildup Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. Neville is wary of being too critical of England given he never expected the team to reach the final even before a ball was kicked.The Manchester United legend also believes Tuchel was hamstrung as Rice, one of the most important members of his squad, was only half-fit and then suffered a bout of sickness in the knockout stages.‘The biggest positive from England’s point of view was getting to a semi-final,’ Neville said on The Peter Crouch Podcast. Declan Rice during England’s World Cup campaign (Picture: Getty) ‘The reason I don’t think we should go overboard is if you told me before the tournament that England would get to the semi-final I would have snapped your hand off.‘The squad he picked, I didn’t think it could get past the semi-finals and that’s what happened.‘Jude [Bellingham] has been unbelievable, Harry’s [Kane] goalscoring the same. [Djed] Spence is a positive, he’s proven he can play at this level and defend one vs one. England World Cup boss Thomas Tuchel (Picture: Getty) ‘For me, not having Declan Rice in the tournament which has effectively been the case… not having him is a massive problem.‘Declan Rice fit and flying and running all over everybody… [Elliot] Anderson has been in there in that midfield pretty much on his own at times.‘I love Declan to bits and he’s our best midfielder by a mile, but he’s been nowhere near it physically in the tournament.’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page While ‘gutted’ about the semi-final defeat to Argentina, Rice insisted he was ‘proud’ of his England teammates after they secured a third-place finish at the World Cup.The Premier League title winner said: ‘This is the best England group for a very long time. That’s a fact. No-one can take that away from us.‘I think we can be proud as a group – we are just gutted we lost in that semi-final.‘We’re tired of saying we’re proud of coming in semi-finals and quarter-finals – we want to win with England ultimately. But to come third in this tournament is a real achievement.‘We’re so close, honestly. There’s been so much talk about this group over the last few years going out of tournaments. There’s been semi-final exits, quarter-finals, finals.‘I think we need to keep going. I do think it’s close. It’s a game of small margins. It’s football and the other night we lost on margins and in the boxes.’England’s semi-final opponents Argentina face Spain in the World Cup final after the European champions knocked out France.For more stories like this, check our sport page.Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Thomas Tuchel has come under fire for England’s World Cup semi-final defeat (Picture: Getty Images) Djed Spence says England’s players are ‘very keen’ to continue working with ‘great manager’ Thomas Tuchel beyond the World Cup. Tuchel is under contract with the Three Lions until Euro 2028 but he has come under pressure after England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. A 2-1 loss to the world champions in the semi-finals is no disgrace, but the manner of defeat has frustrated many England fans. Anthony Gordon gave England the lead on 55 minutes, which caused the team to retreat in an attempt to defend the lead and Tuchel threw on more and more defenders to try and hold on. Exclusive World Cup final buildup Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. Argentina inevitably equalised on 85 minutes and then scored again in stoppage time to break English hearts and cause many to question the rearguard tactics. However, the Three Lions have bounced back to some degree, with the chaotic 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off, and Spence says the players are fully behind Tuchel going forward. The Tottenham full-back, who has been a breakout star of England’s campaign, was asked if the players were keen to continue working with Tuchel after Saturday’s win, and said: ‘Yeah definitely very keen. He’s a great manager and we’ve built something special. Djed Spence has been an unexpected star of England’s campaign (Picture: Getty Images) ‘It wasn’t what we wanted but it’s stepping stones, it’s the best we’ve finished since 1966 so it’s a step in the right direction and hopefully the next tournament we can bring something home. ‘I think we’ve got to learn from this tournament. We’ve learned a lot, done well, we’ve just got to take it into the next tournament that we’re in and the next games that we’re in as a team. We’ve just got to learn from it and hopefully bring something home.’ Spence was asked if the memorable win over France was a response to the criticism the manager has received since the defeat to Argentina. While he is backing his boss, the Spurs man dismissed this idea, saying media and fan opinion has had little impact on the squad. Tuchel, at times, has vented frustration at Spence (Picture: Getty Images) ‘No, I don’t think we really focus on outside noise,’ he said. ‘We’ve just got to focus on ourselves and our bubble and control what we can control. ‘It was disappointment with the semi-final but we showed great mentality today to get the win. Credit to the team.’ Spence was not a starter for England at the beginning of the World Cup but grew in stature over the tournament and was in the starting XI for the semi-final. He impressed both going forward and defending and is pleased with how he performed in his first major tournament. Spence has become a cult hero for England fans (Picture: Getty Images) ‘It’s not a bad debut tournament,’ he said. ‘I’m just happy I can showcase it on the biggest stage in the world.’ The 25-year-old joined Spurs in 2022 but took two years to break into the team, going out on loan to Rennes, Leeds and Genoa. Asked if he could see himself starring for England at the World Cup, when he was struggling to make a breakthrough in the Premier League just two years ago, he was clear, saying: ‘Yeah I could. ‘I’ve always believed in my ability and difficult moments don’t define you. So, I’ve worked hard and always believed that I’ll be in this position. ‘I can only thank God, it’s great to be a part of this team.’ Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are benched for England’s World Cup third-place decider (Getty) Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been dropped to the bench by Thomas Tuchel for England’s World Cup third-place match against France. Bellingham and Kane have been England’s standout players at the World Cup this summer and both players are still being in the running to win the Golden Boot having scored six goals in the tournament so far. But for the third-place game against France on Saturday, Tuchel opted to name Kane and Bellingham as substitutes with Ivan Toney starting up front, with Morgan Rogers in the No.10 role. ‘It’s just common sense,’ Tuchel said when asked about the decision. Exclusive World Cup final buildup Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. ‘We have so many kilometres in the legs. We have so many travel kilometres in our bones. We have a day less recovery. We come from 10 men in altitude. We come from overtime here in Miami. England vs France confirmed line-ups Ivan Toney leads England’s attack against France (Getty) England: D. Henderson; Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Eze; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; Toney Subs: Pickford, O’Reilly, Stones, Anderson, Kane, Bellingham, Chalobah, J. Henderson, Burn, Gordon, Watkins, Madueke, Trafford, James France: Maignan; T. Hernández, Lacroix, Konate, Gusto; Rabiot, Zaïre-Emery, Doue; Cherki, Olise, Mbappe Subs: Akliouche, Barcola, Dembele, Digne, L. Hernandez, Kante, Kone, Kounde, Mateta, Risser, Saliba, Samba, Tchouameni, Thuram, Upamecano ‘These two guys, they gave everything physically in every match. They were ready to go again but we keep them and have them to finish the match for us.’ Tuchel also believes the game against France is a chance for England to ‘close the gap’ on a team who were regarded as the favourites to win the World Cup. World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings (FIFA via Getty) Lionel Messi: 8 goals, 4 asissts Kylian Mbappe: 8 goals, 3 asissts Erling Haaland: 7 goals, 0 asissts Jude Bellingham: 6 goals, 1 asissts Harry Kane: 6 goals, 1 asissts Ousmane Dembele: 5 goals, 2 asissts Mikel Oyarzabal: 5 goals, 1 asissts ‘We have the chance to have the best World Cup finish since 60 years, so it’s quite a big one to play in even if it does not feel like it at all,’ Tuchel said. ‘Until the semi-final I think everyone would agree that France are top favourites in this tournament. They won eight years ago, they were in the final four years ago, they were in the Nations League final. They were on their way to the final and seemed the strongest team in the tournament and in the strongest form and had a total day off in the semi-final and got knocked out. ‘It tells you we’re on the same stage as them, playing for third place, very, very difficult opponent but like I said yesterday we feel that there’s still a slight gap between us and the top three teams. Today we try to close that gap and comp For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Alan Shearer is not a fan of the World Cup Bronze match (Photo: Getty) Alan Shearer has blasted FIFA over their decision to hold a ‘pathetic’ World Cup Bronze match ahead of England vs France on Saturday night. Before all eyes turn to New Jersey for the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, the losing semi-finalists will battle it out for third-place in Miami. Kick-off is at 10pm UK time but, unsurprisingly, there is little hype for the game, with both the Three Lions and Les Bleus still reeling from missing out on the final. While the third-place play-off, which has been rebranded as the Bronze match for this summer, has been a feature of the World Cup since 1934, there have been increasing calls for it to be axed. Exclusive World Cup final buildup Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. Former England captain Shearer believes the upcoming game will only do further damage to players’ fitness and is nothing more than a money making scheme by FIFA. ‘Nonsense, rubbish, pathetic,’ the former striker said on the Rest is Football when asked for his thoughts on the Bronze match. ‘FIFA are going on about player welfare, hydration breaks and all that. Do you think player welfare is taken into account when both teams have lost and within three or four days they’re being asked to play a meaningless third and fourth-place play-off? France play England for the bronze medal tonight (Photo: Getty) ‘Not only that, in Miami, in the heat. So talk to me about player welfare, where is it there? ‘What is it played for? It’s only played for one reason: to make more money. So, it’s pathetic. ‘You’ve heard the managers, what they feel, and I’m pretty sure if you speak to any of the players, they’d rather be home now and getting over the disappointment and trying to get a holiday.’ Will England be up for the ‘nonsense’ game (Photo: Getty) The game will prove important in the race for the coveted Golden Boot, with France captain Kylian Mbappe (eight goals and three assists) trailing Lionel Messi (eight goals and four assists) who will lead Argentina out in the final. England’s talismen Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are also in contention for the prize with six goals each. ‘From personal experience, it’s better than going out in the group stage but it’s not the game you want to play,’ England legend Gary Lineker, who lost the 1990 World Cup third-place to Italy, added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘When you go onto the pitch your competitive edge kicks in and you want to win the game anyway. The performance is probably important for Thomas Tuchel.’ After a barrage of criticism over his defensive tactics in the semi-final defeat to Argentina, Tuchel is reportedly determined to beat France and achieve England’s best result at the World Cup since triumphing in 1966. But even the German manager admitted it was hard to raise morale for the game, saying pre-match: ‘None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match, ‘They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Former England defender Gary Neville (Picture: ITV) Gary Neville believes Harry Kane and two other England players have ‘probably’ played in their last World Cup this summer. The Three Lions were bidding to reach the World Cup final for the first time in 60 years, but came up short after a heartbreaking late defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals. Anthony Gordon had England on the cusp of victory, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez saw the defending champions progress to Sunday’s final where they will take on Spain. England will bring their tournament to a close on Saturday in Miami when they take on France, who were convincingly beaten by Spain in the other semi-final. Exclusive World Cup final buildup Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. And for some players in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, the third-place playoff could be the last time they feature for England at a World Cup. Seven players in the 26-man squad are aged 30 and above, including Kane, Jordan Pickford and John Stones, who are all 32 and have been the foundation of this England side for several major tournaments. And former England full-back Neville is not sure whether England fans will see any of those three in the Three Lions’ squad for the next World Cup in 2030. Harry Kane will be 36 when the next World Cup comes around (Picture: Getty) Discussing England’s collapse against Argentina on Stick to Football with Sky Bet, Neville said: ‘The only thing I would say is, I mean, it’s half an hour’s football, but I remember the penalties in 2006; that was my last half an hour ever in a World Cup. ‘So for Harry Kane, for Jordan Pickford, for Stones, that is your last half an hour probably ever in a World Cup. ‘It is a half an hour, but it’s a half an hour that doesn’t come back very often. It might never come back for the lads. It’s a big half an hour, isn’t it? ‘You think about those moments we had where we were on the edge of getting to semis and finals, and we just couldn’t get over the line, could we?’ Neville believes Kane, Pickford and Stones could have played their last World Cups (Picture: Getty) Kane, who will turn 33 later this month, is now England’s second most capped player of all time, while he also surpassed Gary Lineker this tournament to become England’s record goalscorer at World Cups. But speaking after England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina, Kane hinted his desire to play in another World Cup in four years’ time. ‘It’s too early to talk about that. I mean, as a person, it’s always just about taking it year by year and how I feel,’ Kane explained. ‘The national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do most, more than anything. Thomas Tuchel’s tactics have come in for criticism (Picture: Getty) ‘Obviously, four years is a long way away. I’m 33 in the summer, but as you saw on the other end with Messi there, he’s still performing at the highest level. ‘So, I never want to put a limit on these things. I’ll address every situation as they come, but for now it’s just about processing another tough loss with this team.’ Elsewhere, Neville took aim at Tuchel’s post-match comments in which the German tactician suggested that it was ‘England’s DNA’ rather than his tactics that were the problem in their semi-final defeat. ‘I have a big problem with that,’ Neville said. ‘He didn’t bring Mainoo on, who could handle the ball better than most. ‘He didn’t bring, say, for instance, Saka on who could probably handle the ball better than most. But he also left Foden, Palmer, Wharton, Gibbs-White, and Trent Alexander-Arnold at home, who were technical players. ‘That, to me, wasn’t a quote that sat well with me because I said before the tournament, we all did, he’s left out what would be generational talents like Trent, and Foden, and Palmer, players who’ve got massive talent.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source