Former England forward, Wayne Rooney, has advised Thomas Tuchel to reinstate Marcus Rashford in the starting lineup, replacing Noni Madueke for the Three Lions’ World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
The Three Lions are now just two matches away from achieving greatness, with Jude Bellingham delivering a remarkable performance by scoring twice against Norway, propelling his team into the final four.
However, Tuchel’s squad faced challenges in the quarter-finals, initially falling behind to Andreas Schjelderup’s audacious goal in the 36th minute, which was quickly equalized by Bellingham just before half-time.
After 90 minutes, the teams remained level, but Bellingham’s rebound goal, scored merely three minutes into extra time, proved to be the turning point in Miami.
Argentina, the reigning champions, stand between England and their second World Cup final appearance, having narrowly defeated Switzerland to secure their place in the semi-finals.
The winner of tonight’s highly anticipated match in Atlanta will face European champions Spain, who comfortably overcame a lackluster France in Tuesday’s semi-final.
In a preview of the match on his BBC podcast, Rooney expressed his curiosity regarding the composition of Tuchel’s team, noting that England’s starting XI was uncertain in the hours leading up to kick-off.
When asked if he would suggest any alterations in Tuchel’s starting lineup, Rooney said, “I would position Jude in a three-man midfield, and although he [Tuchel] may not agree, I would opt for Rashford and Gordon.
“Rashford on the right and Gordon on the left, simply utilizing their speed.
“I would also select [Djed] Spence as the left-back for this match, considering Messi tends to drift to the right wing, cutting inside onto his left foot, which would bring him onto Spence’s right foot.”
Source: Sport – Daily Post Nigeria
