Gary Neville, former England and Manchester United player, has warned England's squad that they must significantly improve their performance to match Jude Bellingham's current World Cup form. Bellingham was instrumental in England's final group stage victory, scoring and assisting in the second half against Panama to secure their advancement as group winners.
Neville praised Bellingham's impactful display, noting his ability to perform at a high level while others appeared disjointed and lacked sharpness. "He’s the one player who looks like he’s in form, who's fresh, sharp, lively. He’s played at the level you’d expect," Neville stated, emphasizing that the rest of the team needs to reach this standard quickly for upcoming knockout matches.
Bellingham's goal, a flick from a corner, and his assist for Harry Kane's record-breaking goal were highlighted by Neville for their quality and execution. Former teammates Roy Keane and Ian Wright also lauded Bellingham's confidence and his willingness to carry the team.
However, the praise for Bellingham did not extend to England manager Thomas Tuchel. Roy Keane was critical of Tuchel's frequent changes to the starting lineup, suggesting the manager lacks a clear understanding of his best team. England has made seven alterations across their three group games, with five changes for the Panama match. "The manager has done a lot of chopping and changing. I don’t think he has a clue what his best XI is. That’s not good," Keane commented.
Neville echoed some of Keane's concerns, suggesting that while the team secured the win, improvements are needed, particularly in defensive solidity and overall cohesion. He indicated that key players like Declan Rice need to be integrated back into a more stable formation to prepare for tougher opposition.
England's performance against Panama, despite the eventual win, saw periods of disorganization and vulnerability on the counter-attack. While Panama lacked the quality to capitalize, Neville cautioned that future opponents in the knockout stages will be more clinical.
