Wayne Rooney has claimed England should be relieved to face Argentina rather than Switzerland in their World Cup semi-final, arguing that the Swiss are more organised and could pose a trickier challenge. England secured their place in the last four with a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway, courtesy of Jude Bellingham's winner. Reigning champions Argentina also advanced after a 3-1 victory over Switzerland, having been pushed to extra time following a 1-1 draw in regulation.
Rooney's preference for Argentina
Speaking to the BBC, Rooney said: 'I think I'd rather face Argentina. I think Switzerland are really organised in how they play and I think they could be a tricky game for England.' Despite Lionel Scaloni's squad featuring stars like Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, and Enzo Fernandez, Rooney believes Argentina's style suits England better than a disciplined Swiss outfit.
Warning over England's performance
Rooney also echoed Thomas Tuchel's concerns about England's display against Norway. 'I go back to Thomas Tuchel's interview after the game and I slightly disagree with Micah [Richards] and Alan [Shearer] on it because I think he's done that purposefully,' Rooney said. 'He's done it to show everyone that the performance wasn't good enough, to show the players the performance wasn't good enough.'
He added: 'He knows if you get to a semi-final or final that a performance playing like that isn't good enough to get through. The opposition gets greater than what Norway are and I think he has done that purposefully.'
Need for improvement
Rooney warned that England cannot afford a similar display against top sides. 'When you come up against a Spain, France, Argentina or Switzerland, who are a big threat in this tournament as well, you can't afford to not play well. What they'll do is take the ball off you, make you work and punish you. Norway didn't punish England with the opportunities they had.'
He praised the players for their resilience in challenging conditions but stressed that the performance was a warning sign. 'It's very clever from Tuchel again; it's sort of the first time we've seen that throughout this tournament. The players deserve a huge amount of credit going to Mexico in that climate and the recovery to get through this game in Miami in that heat. But tonight's performance is a warning sign for the next game.'
