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Harry Kane has come out in support of England manager Thomas Tuchel after the coach offered a harsh critique of the Three Lions’ quarter-final victory over Norway. Although England secured a semi-final berth at the 2026 World Cup, Tuchel was left unimpressed by what he described as a sluggish and disjointed showing in Miami.

Kane supports Tuchel’s pursuit of perfection

The England captain defended Tuchel’s strong words following the 2-1 win, which came courtesy of a Jude Bellingham double. Kane explained that the manager’s criticism stemmed from his desire to see England replicate their high training standards on the pitch. Tuchel had described the team as “lucky” and expressed frustration at their lack of pace and technical sharpness.

According to Kane, the German tactician’s approach is meant to keep the team focused ahead of their semi-final clash with Argentina. Speaking about Tuchel’s expectations, Kane said: “When he sees us train and sees how close-knit we are and what we can do — especially with the players we have, the way we attack, our one-on-ones and the skills — he just wants to see that version of us. He knows as much as anyone that it’s not that simple; we are playing against good opposition and good teams. He’s trying to bring that level out of us, and we know we still have another gear to reach.”

England still searching for consistency

Despite booking a fourth World Cup semi-final appearance in their history — following triumph in 1966 and fourth-place finishes in 1990 and 2018 — England’s camp acknowledges the team has yet to deliver a dominant 90-minute performance. Kane admitted that the side have struggled to fully control games during their campaign in North America, but insisted their best football is yet to come.

The Bayern Munich striker stated: “We haven’t shown our best level yet. We’ve shown it in parts. Against Norway, it came in glimpses. We haven’t had the full control we’d like to have, but at this stage of the competition, you’re playing against the best teams in the world. We’ll face one of them again in the semi-final.”

Bellingham’s reaction sparks debate

Tuchel’s blunt post-match criticism did not sit comfortably with Bellingham, who responded curtly, saying, “Yeah, well, whatever,” before adding, “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Odegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sorloth.” The Real Madrid midfielder cited the difficult conditions in Miami as a key factor behind England’s uneven display.

Kane, however, downplayed any tension, instead focusing on the team’s unity and Bellingham’s crucial contribution. Both players now have six goals apiece in the competition’s Golden Boot race, trailing Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé (eight goals each) and Erling Haaland (seven goals). Reflecting on the performance, Kane said: “The most satisfying thing is that we’re in a semi-final and still feel there’s room to improve. There’s no need to overreact. We’re showing a lot of positives — the way the lads defended as a unit, the attacking moments we created — and Jude stepped up again with two massive goals.”

Focus turns to Argentina semi-final

Tuchel’s main concerns revolved around England’s difficulty in breaking Norway’s high press and their lack of creativity in the attacking third. The German coach suggested the players were “overthinking” when in possession, leading to missed opportunities. With a high-stakes semi-final against Argentina scheduled in Atlanta, the team faces the challenge of fine-tuning their tactical execution.

Looking ahead, Kane expressed confidence that England can take the next step. “This has been a hugely successful period for our national team, reaching semi-finals and finals, but we want to go that one step further. That’s the piece we’re missing. We’ve been together for six weeks now, showing our full commitment to the shirt. We’ll need one last big push for the final stretch,” the England skipper concluded.