Gary Neville and Ian Wright have backed Thomas Tuchel's decision to select Noni Madueke and believe the Arsenal winger should continue his run in the side against Mexico in the World Cup last 16.
Madueke's Role in England's Group Stage
Lingering concerns surrounding Bukayo Saka's fitness opened the door for Madueke to play a significant role in the group stage, with the forward starting both of England's first two matches against Croatia and Ghana. Saka has been managing an Achilles injury in recent weeks but returned to Tuchel's XI for the Three Lions' final Group L contest versus Panama – his first start for his country since a qualifying win over Serbia last November.
Many had expected Tuchel to remain with the same frontline against DR Congo, but the German reverted back to Madueke again, insisting the decision said 'nothing' about Saka's fitness levels in his pre-match interview with the BBC.
Comeback Victory Against DR Congo
However, with England trailing 1-0 and struggling for ideas in the final third, Tuchel sent on Saka and Anthony Gordon in place of Madueke and Marcus Rashford respectively, and the double change worked wonders. While Harry Kane deservedly took the plaudits after an inspirational second-half brace to drag England over the line, the fresh legs of Tuchel's substitutes undoubtedly made an impact – and it was Gordon who provided both assists.
England hero Stuart Pearce was among those to criticise Madueke's performance once the dust had settled, accusing the attacker of 'giving up' and 'taking the easy option' far too often in Atlanta.
Praise from Neville and Wright
However, dissecting the comeback victory on The Overlap, ex-England internationals Jill Scott, Wright and Neville were all largely positive about Madueke's contribution thus far. 'I did like Madueke today, I think he put some decent balls in,' Scott said.
On the topic of Madueke, former Arsenal striker Wright chimed in: 'He's the best out of the wingers at the moment. I think we're settling for something that we need more of because he's the best at the moment out of the four of them. It's not like he's pulling away, he's just doing what he needs to be doing and that's what we need from a couple of them. It's a World Cup, so they need to be going up that next level of what they're doing.'
Neville dismissed calls for Madueke to be dropped, insisting the Arsenal man deserved the right to be given another opportunity against Mexico in the last 16. 'I think Madueke, at the moment, is a lot better than Saka in terms of starting,' the former Manchester United right-back – who represented England at two World Cups – said. 'I agree with you, I think he has to start on the right. He's the one. I think on the left, does he stick with Marcus Rashford or does he put in someone a little narrower? I don't know who that player is by the way, a Morgan Rogers maybe, who just plays a little narrower on that left, tucks in alongside the two midfield players.'
Gordon as Impact Sub
Turning his attentions to the opposite wing, Wright encouraged Tuchel to stick with using Gordon as an impact sub at the Azteca. 'I'd go with Rashford,' he said. 'Gordon might be that guy who comes on for 25-30 minutes and he's comfortable.'
In his post-match interview with the BBC, Kane – having captained his country for a record-breaking 91st time – praised Saka and the rest of England's substitutes for coming on and bringing a new dimension to the attack. 'It feels amazing to be honest. What a crazy game,' he said. 'They are a tough team and then after that first break we were much better and their keeper made some unbelievable saves. We spoke about people having hero moments and it can be anyone. It was me today. We spoke all week about just being ourselves. There are still things to work on for sure and these rounds are just about getting through. We are in the part of the tournament when you have to grind wins out, and that's what we have done today. We are the same as every other nation. We are through, so enjoy it. I want them to enjoy it with the fans, and then we go again in four days. We spoke after the Croatian game about subs making an impact and you saw that again. Over 90 minutes, we are tough to handle. I am pleased for everyone involved and hopefully we'll keep it going.'
