Jude Bellingham appeared unimpressed by Thomas Tuchel's harsh assessment of England's performance in their World Cup quarter-final win over Norway, responding with a terse 'whatever' when the manager's comments were put to him.
England edge past Norway in extra-time
England are two wins away from World Cup glory after beating Norway 2-1 in extra-time in a cagey and boiling quarter-final in Miami. The Three Lions fell behind after Andreas Schjelderup's cross-come-shot caught Jordan Pickford off guard, but Bellingham equalised before half-time with a superb goal. Norway appeared to be in the ascendency in the second half, but England rallied in extra-time, with Bellingham popping up with another decisive moment to send Tuchel's side into the semi-finals.
Tuchel critical despite victory
Tuchel was delighted to progress to Wednesday's semi-final, where England will play Argentina or Switzerland, but was critical of his team's performance at the Miami Stadium. He said: 'We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It's amazing but not happy with the performance – in every sense. The commitment is there but we made life difficult for us in the way we played and how we played – sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today. We will get better. We need to. Now it's celebration. Now it's taking it all in. We have three days. We need everything.'
Bellingham responds to criticism
England hero Bellingham appeared irked when Tuchel's comments were put to him in his own post-match interview. Bellingham said: 'Yeah, well… whatever. Whatever. It's difficult out there. It's a tough shift. All the players are putting in a tough shift. So my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who put in a good shift out there.'
Bellingham's response came after he scored twice, including the equaliser and the extra-time winner, to secure England's place in the last four. The match saw England fall behind early but rally to win, with Bellingham's performances drawing praise despite the manager's criticisms.
