Roy Keane has predicted England will ‘come up short’ in their quest for World Cup glory this summer. The former Manchester United captain shared his assessment on the Stick to Football podcast, delivered by Sky Bet, after England’s 2-1 victory over Norway in the quarter-finals.
England's Path to the Semi-Finals
England came from behind to beat Norway on Saturday night, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice to secure a gritty 2-1 win. Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring for Norway in the 36th minute before Bellingham took centre stage to drag his side over the line. The victory set up a mouthwatering semi-final clash with Argentina at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, 15 July at 20:00 BST.
Declan Rice's Illness and Fitness Concerns
Thomas Tuchel’s side will have three days to rest before the semi-final, with hopes that the short break can breathe new life into Declan Rice. The midfielder was substituted at half-time against Norway, with Arsenal teammate Eberechi Eze replacing him. Tuchel later revealed that Rice had ‘spent most of the time in bed’ trying to recover from an illness in the build-up, having already missed the group-stage defeat of Panama due to a neural hamstring issue.
Discussing Rice’s struggles, Keane suggested there was always going to be a ‘tipping point’ given the midfielder’s workload over recent seasons. ‘I always think when you get viruses that you are a bit rundown and you are feeling not great about yourself,’ Keane said. ‘That’s when you pick up these viruses or these bugs, he’s not at his strongest. When you’re a little bit rundown, that’s when something gets to you. He couldn’t raise a gallop could he?’
Keane added: ‘He’s not a robot. There’s been lots of pressure and over the last few years, going back to his West Ham days, he never misses a game. At some stage there’s a tipping point. I know at Arsenal there’s different demands and he had a run in Europe, they had a run in the two cup competitions, the pressure of trying to win the league, he’s a big player for England… and again, he never misses a game. I can’t imagine him missing too many training sessions and he’s not a robot so come this stage of the season he’s probably thinking, “I’m running on fumes now”, and that’s what it is.’
Keane's Prediction: England Will Fall Short
Regardless of whether Rice regains full fitness, Keane cannot see the Three Lions going all the way. ‘We said at the start of the tournament that players will go down, you might miss a Rice, somebody will get suspended,’ the ex-Republic of Ireland international added. ‘Lads will come into the team and do a big job for you. Some of the fringe players will step in and if Rice does miss out, somebody will step in. That’s the nature of the game. I still think they’ll come up short even with Rice. They’re still short.’
Tuchel's Substitutions Praised
Keane did praise Tuchel for his proactive substitutions throughout England’s campaign. ‘He doesn’t wait [to make changes], though, the manager, so credit to him for that,’ he continued. ‘The top managers don’t wait, they gamble. How many times have you been at a match and you’re going, “What are they waiting for?”, and he just takes the initiative. The goal on half-time will have helped, obviously, with the mindset, the feeling of the dressing room, but he doesn’t mess about.’
Argentina Clash: Messi's First Meeting with England
England’s semi-final against Argentina will see Lionel Messi line up against the Three Lions for the first time in his international career, should he feature at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The winner will face either France or Spain in the final.
