England have to keep going, Harry Kane said, in the perfect style of the little-time expression of confidence and ambition by the young Thomas Tuchel. Many teams would feel they had reached the final four but England’s skipper says more is still to be had out of him. The faith in that number might prove to be the biggest weapon in the lads’ armour as they embark on their own blockbuster against Argentina on Wednesday. The match is on the line in the World Cup final and England are aware they will have to do their best to face one of the very best sides in world football.
England landed in the semi-finals after a thrilling 2-1 extra-time win over Norway. But it was not enough to please Tuchel, who publicly criticised his side after the game. The England coach confessed his team was lax, over technicalised and hadn’t played at the level he expected. Kane’s comments probably came as a shock to many fans, but he doesn’t think so because he feels that’s a coach who knows just how good this team can be.
Tuchel has seen a completely different side of the team in training, the England skipper has claimed. First, he sees chemistry amongst the players. The first is to see the quality when it comes in a one on one scenario, and the pace at which England attack. Lastly, he hopes the same is present on matchday. Kane explained while it’s not easy against the best teams in the world, he said England have only been able to demonstrate their best in bits and pieces during the tournament.
That’s the attitude in the locker room! England are pushing themselves to have more than winners, rather than resting on their laurels. While they do. Kane has six goals just like Jude Bellingham, the England lead scorer in the group stage and he might go on like that. The experienced forwords thinks they’re still lacking in quality to take control and dominate games from all parts. Norway had moments of brilliance from England but were unable to maintain their form throughout the entire match of 90 minutes.
But the effort is even harder when it comes against Argentina. Defensive discipline, combined with attacking quality has always been the hallmark of the reigning giants from South America and they have consistently proved themselves capable of playing amongst the world’s elite. England are mindful that any loss of concentration may cost them dear. Yet, Kane believes that there is still room for improvement and retains confidence. The players aren’t thinking about their own games and they are thinking more towards their performances come the moment they need to be.
Some within the England group did not agree with Tuchel’s criticism, interestingly. However, Jude Bellingham had a different view following their win in Norway, noting how challenging the conditions had been and the high quality Norway had among their attacking players, including Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth. The young midfielder complimented his teammates’ effort and determination, indicating that the coaching staff may have been unaware of just how tough an effort the match was.
But there is no indication of division, even with the split opinions. Rather, it is an indication of the excellent standards that England has imposed upon itself. While Tuchel desires perfection, the players value the hard work needed in order to continue winning. He could prove to be key below par/144 as the matchup nears the end to ensure he’s striving for the best but still displays a sense of confidence.
The recent history of England tournaments is also instructive. The Three Lions have been able to get to the latter stages of the big games regularly, including the World Cup semi-final in 2018 and two consecutive defeats at the European Championship final. But the great reward has always been elusive. This generation has always been so wanting to be successful, but the moment is now to step forward,” Kane said. If that’s the case, there should be no better way to complete the journey and have a World Cup victory.
The captain also added that the harmony in the team after their 6-week stint during this tournament. So far each of the players has proven to be loyal to the national badge and Kane feels there is one more chance to make history. This week’s semi-final is one of the most important moments in the modern history of English football as England have not won the World Cup since the 1960s. The faith within the camp is still as strong as ever, despite Argentina representing a huge challenge.
This is Korea’s message as his agents get ready for one of England’s most important matches in their history, ‘take it easy, but keep getting better’. So if the Three Lions can once again reach the level they’ve demonstrated during training, maybe they will have made one giant leap towards capturing football’s ultimate goal. So it will be watched with a keen eye to see if England’s “next level” ever comes to the biggest stage.
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