Gary Neville has warned that Jude Bellingham is the only England player currently in form at the World Cup, calling on the rest of Thomas Tuchel's squad to raise their level ahead of the round of 32. England finished top of Group L after a 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday, with goals from Bellingham and Harry Kane securing the win.
Neville singles out Bellingham as standout performer
Speaking to ITV after the match, Neville highlighted Bellingham's sharpness and energy, describing him as the one player who looks fresh and playing at the expected standard. "He's the one player who looks like he's in form, he's the one player who looks like he's fresh," Neville said. "He's sharp, he's lively, he's played at the level you would expect."
Neville noted that England's players have set a high bar by reaching finals and semi-finals in recent tournaments, but the overall performance against Panama was laboured. He referenced Tuchel's post-match comments about stepping up in bigger games, adding: "I don't think he'll be walking off that pitch tonight and thinking everything's perfect now."
Concerns over defence and midfield
Neville stressed the need for improvement in the next four days, particularly in defence and midfield. "We've got to get Declan Rice back in the team, we've got to get the back four more solid," he said. "It looked like they cut through us a few times. They didn't have the quality to punish us, but they're going to have to step up."
England's round-of-32 opponent is likely to be Senegal or DR Congo, with the match scheduled for Wednesday. Neville believes Senegal, in particular, could fancy their chances on the counter-attack after seeing Ghana and Panama frustrate England's attackers for long periods.
Neville: Senegal would fancy their chances
"If you're watching England right now, you've got a bit of a model having watched Ghana and Panama play against England for 60 minutes where you would just sit back and counter-attack," Neville said. "Obviously teams later on wouldn't do that, but if you're Senegal I think you fancy your chances on the counter-attack."
He reflected on England's group-stage performance, saying: "It's probably the most disappointed we've ever been with topping the group. These players have set such a standard over the last few years in terms of tournaments that we're just thinking we want more from them, we want more from Bellingham, we want more from Rogers, we want more from Rashford. That needs to come now."
Wright defends Bellingham's confidence
Former England striker Ian Wright also weighed in, defending Bellingham against pre-tournament criticism that he might not make the starting lineup. "I can't understand it, I've always backed him," Wright said. "He's somebody who, when you watch him, whoever he's playing against, he's exactly the same. He's going for it, wants to do the best he can, he wants to put the team on his shoulders and run with it, and he relishes it."
England now face a crucial knockout tie, with Neville and others urging the squad to deliver a more convincing performance.
