Gary Neville has warned that Jude Bellingham is the only England player currently 'in form' at the World Cup, calling on the rest of Thomas Tuchel's squad to raise their game ahead of the round of 32. England finished top of Group L after a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday, with goals from Bellingham and Harry Kane, but the performance was far from convincing.
Neville singles out Bellingham as standout performer
Speaking to ITV after the match, Neville did not hold back in his assessment. 'Absolutely. He's the one player who looks like he's in form, he's the one player who looks like he's fresh,' Neville said when asked if Bellingham had been England's best player at the tournament. 'He's sharp, he's lively, he's played at the level you would expect. These players have set a standard getting to finals and semi-finals over the last few years.'
England now face a round-of-32 match on Wednesday, likely against Senegal or DR Congo. Neville expressed concerns about the team's overall performance, noting that Tuchel's side struggled to dominate despite the win. 'In Thomas Tuchel's interview he said, 'we'll step up in bigger games', they're going to have to. I don't think he'll be walking off that pitch tonight and looking at the analysis with his coaching staff and think everything's perfect now,' Neville added.
Defensive issues and midfield concerns
The former Manchester United defender highlighted specific areas that need improvement. 'We've got to get together in the next four days, we've got to get Declan Rice back in the team, we've got to get the back four more solid, it looked like they [Panama] cut through us a few times, they didn't have the quality to punish us but they're going to have to step up.' Rice was benched for the Panama game, and his return is seen as crucial for England's midfield stability.
Neville also warned that Senegal could pose a serious threat on the counter-attack. 'You've got five games to play to win this tournament now with the added extra round. England… Senegal or DR Congo are the opponents that you wouldn't be scared of before the tournament, but I think if you're watching England right now you've got a bit of a model having watched Ghana and Panama play against England for 60 minutes where you would just sit back and counter-attack. Obviously, teams later on in the tournament wouldn't do that but if you're Senegal I think you fancy your chances on the counter-attack,' he said.
Wright defends Bellingham against pre-tournament criticism
Meanwhile, Ian Wright hit back at suggestions that Bellingham would not make England's best line-up before the World Cup. 'I can't understand it, I've always backed him and what he's done and that's going off what I've seen him do,' Wright told ITV. 'The fact he's got a lot of confidence, the fact he's got a lot of confidence people interpret it as arrogance for him but he's somebody who when you watch him, whoever he's playing against, I remember watching him against New Zealand and Costa Rica, he's exactly the same, he's going for it, wants to do the best he can, he wants to put the team on his shoulders and run with it and he relishes it.'
England's path forward
England topped Group L with two wins and a draw, but performances have been underwhelming. The round-of-32 match is scheduled for Wednesday, with the opponent to be confirmed. Tuchel's side will need to improve significantly to progress deep into the tournament, with Neville's comments reflecting the frustration of fans and pundits alike. 'It's probably the most disappointed we've ever been with topping the group. The reason for that is these players have set such a standard over the last few years in terms of tournaments that we're just thinking we want more from them, we want more from Bellingham, we want more from Rogers, we want more from Rashford, that needs to come now,' Neville concluded.
