Gary Neville and Ian Wright have defended Noni Madueke after the Arsenal winger faced criticism for his performance in England's 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo in the World Cup group stage. The former England internationals backed Thomas Tuchel's decision to select Madueke and urged the manager to keep him in the starting lineup for the round of 16 clash against Mexico.
Madueke's role in England's group stage
Madueke started England's first two group matches against Croatia and Ghana due to lingering concerns over Bukayo Saka's Achilles injury. Saka returned to the starting XI for the final group game against Panama, but Tuchel reverted to Madueke for the DR Congo match, insisting the decision was not related to Saka's fitness. With England trailing 1-0 in the second half, Tuchel introduced Saka and Anthony Gordon as substitutes, and the changes proved decisive as Harry Kane scored twice to secure the win. Gordon provided both assists.
Criticism and support from pundits
Former England defender Stuart Pearce criticized Madueke for 'giving up' and 'taking the easy option' too often. However, on The Overlap, Jill Scott, Ian Wright, and Gary Neville offered a more positive assessment. Scott said: 'I did like Madueke today, I think he put some decent balls in.' Wright added: 'He's the best out of the wingers at the moment. It's not like he's pulling away, he's just doing what he needs to be doing.' Neville dismissed calls to drop Madueke, stating: 'I think Madueke, at the moment, is a lot better than Saka in terms of starting. I agree with you, I think he has to start on the right.'
Wright backs Gordon as impact sub
Wright encouraged Tuchel to continue using Gordon as an impact substitute, saying: 'I'd go with Rashford. Gordon might be that guy who comes on for 25-30 minutes and he's comfortable.' Neville also discussed the left-wing options, suggesting a narrower player like Morgan Rogers could be considered.
Kane praises substitutes
Harry Kane, who captained England for a record 91st time, praised the impact of the substitutes in his post-match interview with the BBC. 'We spoke after the Croatian game about subs making an impact and you saw that again. Over 90 minutes, we are tough to handle,' he said. Kane also noted the team's resilience: 'We are in the part of the tournament when you have to grind wins out, and that's what we have done today.'
Poll: Should Madueke start against Mexico?
A Metro poll asked readers whether Madueke should start against Mexico, reflecting the ongoing debate over England's best attacking lineup. The article also invited readers to sign up for Metro's World Cup newsletter for daily updates.
