Troy Deeney has stunningly claimed that one England player was “no better than Noni Madueke’ during their 2-1 win vs Norway on Saturday night, thus urging Thomas Tuchel to drop him ahead of the World Cup semi-final.

It was another come-from-behind victory for the Three Lions, who had to rely on the heroics of Jude Bellingham – fourth among the tournament’s top performers based on stats – to set up a mouth-watering clash with Argentina on Wednesday night.

England have never beaten a side who are in the top four of the FIFA World Rankings at a major tournament before, but will need to do just that to cut Lionel Messi’s title defence short in Atlanta, Georgia.

Deeney Brutally Names England Star Tuchel Must Drop vs Argentina

Deeney claimed that the lack of critique headed Nico O’Reilly’s way pales in comparison to the heat on Arsenal winger Noni Madueke, but that shouldn’t be the case. His brutal verdict on Manchester City’s left-back was made when he, Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent named their predicted line-up for England’s semi-final clash against Argentina. After he was picked in the XI, Deeney said on talkSPORT:

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Brett Davis

Goldstein felt Deeney’s verdict was rather harsh, prompting the latter to respond: “What’s been his good game?” The co-host admitted O’Reilly was yet to produce a memorable performance, but that he hadn’t exactly been bad either.

Deeney replied: “No, I agree. And I don’t think Madueke has had a bad game. He’s just been in the middle. I’m just saying, the level of what you look for in an attacking player is much different to what you look for in a defensive player. Nico O’Reilly hasn’t been great. He’s been okay. For a player of his talent, and a player of his ability, okay shouldn’t be good enough.”

O’Reilly has featured in all six of the Three Lions’ World Cup fixtures, with five of those being starts. Similarly to O’Reilly, Spence has featured in each of England’s six World Cup fixtures to date but has started just twice.

He Also Believes England Can ‘Batter’ Argentina in Semi-Final

Nathan Ray Seebeck (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Just four days ago, Deeney said Tuchel’s side would ‘come unstuck’ if they had to face Argentina. But he has since changed his tune, so much so that he has now made the sensational claim that England can ‘batter’ their opponents en-route to just a second World Cup final appearance in their history. He said (watch from 2:00 of the video below):

Whether England can stop Messi from adding to his tally of eight goals and three assists in six matches this summer is a massive ask, though, while Tuchel will once again be leaning on Harry Kane and Bellingham is he is to continue his side’s impressive run of grinding out results, no matter what is thrown their way.

Looking to secure a spot in their first World Cup final since 1966, England will take on Argentina in their semi-final. The Three Lions have heavily relied on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham this summer, but the Argentine press believe stopping another man could be the key to success.

Bellingham bagged a brace against Norway in the quarters, having also scored twice in the 3-2 win over Mexico. Kane also found the back of the next in that Last 16 victory, while his two strikes were enough to see England edge past DR Congo in the Round of 32.

In total, both Kane and Bellingham have six goals this summer, with Marcus Rashford the only other player to have netted at the tournament under Thomas Tuchel. Even so, it’s felt that a different player is worth targeting if Argentina want to make their second successive final, having won the 2022 World Cup.

‘England Lose Clarity’ – Argentina Told To Target Midfielder

Paul Childs via Reuters

In a lengthy article written by Argentinian journalist Bruno Distefano for TycSports, the writer explaned why it could be key for his nation to target Declan Rice in the match. He explained:

Not only did he speak specifically about Rice, but the article also notes some other exploitable issues England may have. Distefano wrote: “They tend to be sluggish at the start of matches. In several games, they needed a considerable amount of time to settle defensively and struggled when the opposition managed to impose a high tempo from the outset. Striking early can not only alter the course of the game but also force Tuchel’s team to abandon a game plan they are much more comfortable with.”

The journalist also claimed that, “The mobility of the Argentine forwards and the overlapping runs of Molina and Tagliafico can create overloads on the flanks,” if England lose possesion. Finally, he suggested that the Three Lions have ‘accumulated more fatigue than Argentina’ over the tournament, which could be important on the day.

Threat of Kane and Bellingham Also Highlighted

TycSports clearly feel as though the likes of Kane and Bellingham won’t be able to do their thing if Rice is put under enough pressure in the middle of the park. That’s not to say they have overlooked the indieifaul qualitty of the two England goalscoring threats.

Of the Real Madrid star, Distefano noted: “Bellingham has gone from being just an attacking midfielder to a game-changer, a player who unlocks the game from deep. He exploits the space Kane creates, appearing without a fixed target, and arriving in the box with incredibly precise timing. A moment of inattention is all it takes to find him finishing through the middle or attacking the far post.”

Talking about the England captain, he then concluded: “Kane remains the attacking focal point, though no longer solely due to his goalscoring ability. He increasingly drops deeper to link up with the midfielders, pin back the center-backs, and free up the central channel for Bellingham’s runs or Bukayo Saka’s diagonal runs.”

Aston Villa are said to have honed in on their main left-back target after being dealt a big blow in the midfield. Unai Emery is building his squad for a return to the Champions League, and he has been hit with a major blow with the apparent loss of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, with the midfielder on his way to Old Trafford.

Tielemans has been a monumental part of Villa’s recent success, but he now moves on, leading Villa to the signing of Switzerland international Johan Manzambi. But Emery has other concerns beyond the midfield, and a new left-back is to be sourced, with Lucas Digne now 32 years of age.

Aston Villa decide on former Unai Emery favourite

According to Fabrizio Romano, Emery has decided to sign his former Villarreal left-back Pervis Estupiñán, who is currently at AC Milan. Romano posted on X: “Pervis Estupiñán, high on Aston Villa three-men short list at left back. He’s already worked with Emery at Villarreal and deal is on with #AVFC, talks ongoing.”

Estupiñán played a key part in Villarreal winning the Europa League under Emery, and he then went on to join Brighton, playing a key role there and earning a big move to AC Milan in 2025. The 28-year-old has made 19 league appearances for Milan, who had a disappointing season of last, missing out on the Champions League, but Estupiñán could yet end up playing in UEFA’s premier competition.

Milan bought Estupiñán for £17million, so it’s likely he would be available for an affordable fee this summer, especially with Milan missing out on the Champions League.

Estupiñán a ‘very smart’ full-back

AC Milan legend Cafu said of Estupiñán prior to his arrival in Italy: “I’ve seen him several times in World Cup qualifiers, and he’s very good. He’s a perfect fit for Milan. His speed, his ability to push forward, and the fact that he’s not afraid to take personal initiative when the team needs it.”

Prior to that, then Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said: “I must admit that Pervis is one of the most crucial players for us because he started from left-back, but you can find him in a striker position. He’s very smart, he’s one of our secrets I think.”