Roy Keane and Gary Neville have expressed their doubts about England‘s chances of winning the World Cup this summer.
The Three Lions are out in the US ahead of the tournament getting underway on Thursday, with their first game coming against Croatia in Texas next Wednesday.
Having lost in the final of the last two European Championships and after reaching the semi-final and quarter-final at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively, Thomas Tuchel‘s side will have high hopes of ending 60 years of hurt this time around.
However, Keane and Neville were not confident, and highlighted several issues around the team.
‘England have got a lot of good players,’ Keane said on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet. ‘No doubt getting out of the group should be straightforward for them and you think they’ll compete if everything falls into place.
‘But do I see England winning the World Cup? Absolutely not.
Roy Keane and Gary Neville have questioned England’s chances of winning the World Cup
Keane highlighted his concerns over England’s squad, particularly in regards to the defence
‘When I look at the squad, and particularly defensively, I’m not convinced. I just don’t see it come a crunch game in the quarter, the semi-finals, whether they’re chasing the game or defending it. It’s the centre halves that would be worrying me.’
Tuchel made several bold decisions when selecting his 26-man group, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Lewis Hall among those snubbed by the German.
And Keane felt that Tuchel’s desire to prioritise chemistry in the group and players that can cover different roles would hold England back in the latter stages of the tournament.
He added: ‘Thomas Tuchel has harmony with the squad because come crunch time, he’s there to win it.
‘There’s plenty of chat about how many players can play in multiple positions, which is fine in the group stages, but when it comes to the knockout games against the big teams you need players who are amazing in their position, not a jack of all trades.’
Keane added that for England to win the World Cup, everything has to go right and Tuchel cannot afford to make any mistakes, while he similarly highlighted the potential negative impact of the sweltering conditions following a long season.
The Man United legend’s views were echoed by Neville, who shared his own worries about England’s defence.
‘Individually, some of the England players are fantastic,’ he said. ‘If you’re talking about a unit, a back four, the best team in the World Cup is the best defensive team. I don’t see a back four for England as a unit.
‘I like each player individually, but as a back four, I think the midfield two are going to have to do a lot of work to make sure they’re covering the gaps. I don’t see a lot of game knowledge and understanding of what the biggest moments of staying as a back four together are.
‘Thomas Tuchel is going to have to do a lot of work with them in the next couple of weeks to get a back four together that’s going to be a unit that can win a World Cup.’
He continued: ‘It’s not an individual thing. Nico O’Reilly could be a left-back for anybody. Reece James, on his day, could play right-back for anybody.
‘Marc Guehi would be a fantastic centre-back in most teams. So, it’s not an individual thing, it’s how they build as a unit.’
Neville also went on to highlight issues with England’s style, suggesting they only have one way of playing and may struggle to keep possession with the squad Tuchel has picked.
Neville questioned England’s ability to adapt and shared similar defensive concerns to Keane
England kick off their World Cup campaign next Wednesday when they take on Croatia
Neville said: ‘The defensive side of the England squad worries me. The bit that frightens me to death, which has cost us over the years, is when we play in conditions later in the tournament when we’re slightly fatigued and teams keep the ball off us, we are unable to get through that match.
‘And that will happen again with the squad he’s picked. We’re not a possession team in this tournament, which I don’t mind. We are a counter-attacking team against the top teams.
‘You’ve got Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon, you can’t keep possession with them.
‘You’ve got a midfield of Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson who won’t be able to compete with the best midfields when it comes to rotation and keeping the ball.
‘You’ve got Harry Kane, who drops in with either Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers, so you’re not keeping possession against the top teams. It’s impossible.’
England play their final World Cup warm-up clash on Wednesday night against Costa Rica, before they take on Ghana and Panama in the group stage after the opener with Croatia.
