Wayne Rooney has warned Thomas Tuchel that England will be in “big trouble” at the World Cup if certain tactical issues are not addressed, following the team's unconvincing progression to the knockout stages.
England Through to Last-16 Despite Struggles
England are through to the World Cup last-16 after beating DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday evening, though Tuchel’s side struggled to convince for large periods. Falling behind as early as the seventh minute, captain Harry Kane’s second-half brace ultimately saved the Three Lions from World Cup humiliation and set up a showdown with co-hosts Mexico in the next round.
Rooney's Concerns Over Midfield and Defensive Gaps
Rooney, however, believes Tuchel got his “answers” about certain players as he predicted England to crash out of the World Cup unless connections improve across the pitch. “For me, there’s big concerns,” the former England captain said on BBC. “Obviously delighted that England have gone through but there are big concerns. In particular when England lose the ball, they are so open. I give DR Congo a lot of credit for how they played, but against a better team, I think we’re in big trouble if we don’t sort that out.”
“We’re so open in midfield, I think the connection is not great between the back-line and midfield, the full-backs are struggling. Nico O’Reilly done well tonight but the full-backs are struggling. [Noni] Madueke struggled, there is just no connection. There’s big gaps in the middle of the pitch and that is a big worry for me.”
Rooney Urges Tuchel to Act Quickly
“I don’t want to sound too negative but I’ve got to be honest with what I have seen and that’s not just this game, it’s in previous games. That gives Thomas Tuchel, what I said before, answers. I think he has got answers of what he has got and he really needs to look at that, otherwise we will go out,” Rooney added.
