Peter Schmeichel has criticised Thomas Tuchel for leaving Bukayo Saka on the bench during England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, calling it a 'mistake' that the manager may regret. The Arsenal winger responded by scoring a stunning hat-trick in the bronze-medal match against France, becoming only the fourth England player to achieve a World Cup hat-trick after Sir Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker, and Harry Kane.
Saka's hat-trick highlights Tuchel's decision
England's 6-4 victory over France at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium came just four days after their 2-1 semi-final loss to the reigning champions Argentina in Atlanta. Saka, who has been nursing an Achilles injury since the end of last season, was an unused substitute in that match. Tuchel insisted the decision was mainly tactical, but Saka later confirmed he was fit enough to start. 'Of course, I would love to have played more but it's too late to talk about that,' Saka told the BBC. 'I try to do my talking on the pitch and it's done now. So let's move on. I'm fit.'
Schmeichel defends England's overall performance
Speaking on FOX Sports, Schmeichel urged fans to 'take a step back' and appreciate England's tournament achievements. 'People should take a step back and actually look at what England have done,' the former Manchester United goalkeeper said. 'I've always looked at England as a team being close to being great but there has always been something missing. This time, there is so much promise in this team.' He added: 'Yes, I think he made one mistake, he didn't play Saka at all in that semi-final against Argentina. For whatever reason, I do not know. But that's not going to define what they've done in this World Cup.'
England's defensive tactics draw criticism
England's cautious approach after taking the lead against Argentina drew widespread criticism, with Tuchel facing calls to resign. The German manager, however, said he had 'no regrets' about his tactics and substitutions, comments that attracted further negative headlines. Schmeichel dismissed the backlash as 'silly', encouraging supporters to focus on the 'big picture'. He also praised England's quarter-final performance against Mexico, where they played with ten men in difficult circumstances at the Azteca stadium. 'For England to come through in that game with ten men, that was fantastic, absolutely fantastic,' Schmeichel said.
Bellingham-Pickford exchange overblown
Footage after Enzo Fernandez's long-range strike equalised for Argentina appeared to show Jude Bellingham blaming Jordan Pickford for the goal. Schmeichel downplayed the incident: 'The narrative today is that Jude Bellingham has apparently said something to the sky. That's now the big story in England and all of a sudden they're questioning Jordan Pickford in the goal. I think that's a bit silly. They should look at it as a big picture. They've done well.'
World Cup final set for Sunday
This year's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will take place on Sunday, July 19 at 8pm BST at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
