Wayne Rooney has backed England to beat Argentina and reach the World Cup final – but warned Thomas Tuchel’s side must dramatically improve after their unconvincing victory over Norway.
The former England captain believes the Three Lions have the talent to overcome the reigning world champions, but insisted a repeat of their scrappy 2-1 extra-time win over Norway would almost certainly end their World Cup dream, the Evening Standard reported.
England booked a mouth-watering semi-final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina after battling past Norway on Saturday, with either France or Spain waiting in the final.
But Rooney admitted England were second best for large spells and praised Tuchel for publicly challenging his players after the final whistle.
The England manager delivered a brutally honest assessment in his post-match interview, admitting his side’s performance fell below the standard required to win the tournament.
Rooney said he completely agreed.
Thomas Tuchel was exactly right in what he was saying after the game.”
Speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney said England would need far greater quality if they were to overcome Argentina.
“When you think about a semi-final against a very good Argentina team, we have to show more quality.
We’ve shown courage and mentality but you’re going to need the quality as well in the semi-final.
Rooney believes Tuchel deliberately used the interview to send a clear message to his squad. “He knows going into the semi-final, a performance like that won’t be good enough because of the quality of the opposition.”
Despite celebrating England’s place in the last four, Rooney admitted Norway controlled much of the contest. “We’re all delighted that England have got through but the performance wasn’t great.”
He added: “For large parts of that game Norway were the better team.
England eventually found a way through thanks to their resilience, but Rooney warned that Argentina would punish similar mistakes. “You can’t afford to not play well because they will take the ball off you, make you work and punish you.”
Rooney singled out Jude Bellingham as the player capable of carrying England through difficult moments.
The former Manchester United striker compared the Real Madrid midfielder’s influence to Steven Gerrard’s inspirational display in Liverpool’s famous 2005 Champions League final. “When you have players like Jude Bellingham in the team then you always have a chance.”
Rooney added that this was exactly the type of moment he expected Bellingham to produce.”In a game where we needed him most he stepped up.
Perhaps Rooney’s biggest surprise was revealing he would actually prefer England to play Argentina rather than Switzerland.
While many viewed the world champions as the tougher opponent, Rooney believes Switzerland’s tactical organisation could have caused England even more problems.
“I think I’d rather face Argentina.”
The remark sets the stage for one of the most eagerly anticipated World Cup semi-finals in years as England attempt to knock out Messi and book their place in the final.
With Tuchel demanding more, Rooney warning of the dangers ahead and Argentina waiting, England know only a significant improvement will keep their hopes of lifting the World Cup alive.
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