Gary Lineker has shared his 'concern' about England star Elliot Anderson, despite his 'brilliant' performance against Norway in the World Cup quarter-final. England reached the semi-final stage for only the fourth time in their history after a nervy 2-1 win over Norway on Saturday night in Miami.
England's Path to the Semi-Finals
Norway took an early lead, but Jude Bellingham equalised shortly before half-time and scored the winner in extra-time. Thomas Tuchel's side will now face Lionel Messi's Argentina on Wednesday, with the winner meeting either France or Spain in the final.
Following a sensational performance in the last-16 against Mexico, England were largely lacklustre against Norway, with several key players struggling. Anderson was an exception, putting in a strong shift over the entire 120 minutes.
Lineker's Concerns
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Lineker praised Anderson's passing and energy but highlighted a potential weakness. 'Elliot Anderson, he was so good. His passing, those cross-field balls. Really good first-half and he was everywhere in the game. He kept running and running for the whole 120 minutes,' Lineker said.
'The one thing I would say, sometimes he can jump a little bit early. If you've got Bellingham and Declan Rice [ahead of him], sometimes we look a little bit open in front of the back-four. I think he's brilliant but it does concern you. Maybe it's because we were playing Norway and not Argentina, France or Spain.'
Richards on Anderson's Best Position
Former England defender Micah Richards agreed, suggesting Tuchel is not playing Anderson in his best position. 'I actually think he's an eight, I don't think he's a six. He's technically too good, his passing range is so good. He's got so much energy, he can go up and down. He's that good that he always wants to be involved,' Richards said.
'He's just a brilliant player [but] he's got to be more disciplined. If you play against France and [Michael] Olise is in that No.10, you're getting hurt straight away. Just those little details, if he sorts them out, he can be anything he wants to be, I think he's that good. Man City signed him, he's exactly what they need: energy.'
Richards added: 'But it's difficult. Rice is a runner, he's not a six, he's an eight. Jude is an eight or a 10, and Anderson is an eight, so that's why some people are talking about Kobbie Mainoo [playing] but he [Tuchel] doesn't fancy him.'
