England captain Harry Kane has supported manager Thomas Tuchel's assessment that the team needs to improve its technical performance, acknowledging that the squad has another level to reach as they prepare for a World Cup semi-final against Argentina. The Three Lions secured their place in the final four after Jude Bellingham scored twice in a narrow victory over Norway.
Tuchel expressed dissatisfaction with the team's technical execution following the Norway match, noting that the opposition dominated for significant periods. Kane echoed these sentiments, stating, "We know we can improve and we know we can play better." He explained that Tuchel desires to see the team consistently display the attacking prowess and individual skills evident in training and in glimpses during matches.
"He knows as much as anyone that it's not as simple as that, we're playing against good opposition," Kane said. "He's trying to drag it out of us and we know ourselves we have another level that we can reach. We haven't seen that yet. We've shown it in glimpses. Against Norway it was in glimpses. But we haven't had the full control that we would like and I feel we can have."
Despite the call for improvement, Kane defended the team's existing characteristics, highlighting their desire, determination, and commitment. He pointed to the team's defensive efforts against Norway and their attacking moments, particularly Bellingham's crucial goals. Kane emphasized the significance of reaching a World Cup semi-final, a stage not always achieved by the national team, and encouraged his teammates to appreciate the achievement while striving for more.
"Ultimately, we are in a semi-final of the World Cup and that has not always been the case for this national team, so we have to enjoy it," Kane stated. "We need to take that in. It's been an extremely successful era of our national team. Of course, we want to get over the line. That is the missing piece now. We're knocking on the door. We're getting to these semi-finals and finals. It's a big week. We've got eight days left of this tournament. We've been together six weeks and shown every bit of desire for the badge and we're going to need an even bigger push now for the last week or so."
England is scheduled to face Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, in Atlanta on Wednesday.