Wayne Rooney has backed England to defeat Argentina and reach the World Cup final, but expressed serious doubts about their performance in the quarter-final victory over Norway. The former England captain agreed with manager Thomas Tuchel's candid criticism after the match, warning that a similar display against the world champions would not be enough to progress.
England's Quarter-Final Struggle Against Norway
England scraped past Norway 2-1 after extra time on Saturday, setting up a semi-final clash with Argentina. Despite the result, Rooney highlighted significant flaws in England's play. "Thomas Tuchel was exactly right in what he was saying after the game," Rooney told BBC Sport. "When you think about a semi-final against a very good Switzerland team or a very good Argentina team, we have to show more quality."
Rooney noted that Norway outplayed England for large stretches. "For large parts of that game, Norway were the better team," he said. "We have to show more quality to advance into the final. We've shown courage and mentality, but you're going to need the quality as well."
Tuchel's Post-Match Message
Tuchel's heated interview with ITV after the match sent a clear signal to the squad, according to Rooney. "I think Tuchel's interview tells everyone that the performance wasn't good enough and tells the players the performance wasn't good enough because he knows going into the semi-final, a performance like that won't be good enough to get through because of the quality of the opposition," Rooney said. "You can't afford to not play well because they will take the ball off you, make you work and punish you."
Bellingham's Influence and Semi-Final Preference
Rooney praised Jude Bellingham's impact, likening it to Steven Gerrard's 2005 Champions League final heroics. "We lacked quality and speed and tempo, but when you have players like Jude Bellingham in the team, you always have a chance," he said. "I said before the tournament there would be a game when we need Jude Bellingham. In a game where we needed him most, he stepped up."
Rooney also expressed a preference for facing Argentina over Switzerland in the semi-final. "I think I'd rather face Argentina. I think Switzerland are really organised in how they play and I think they could be a tricky game for England," he added.
