As the fallout from England’s heartbreaking World Cup campaign continues – only somewhat sweetened by a bronze medal secured in a 6-4 win over France on Saturday night – Gary Neville has claimed one star player was a ‘massive problem’ for Thomas Tuchel.

Of course, criticism of the side should outweigh any pride or so-called glory that comes with their best finish since 1966. England have made a habit of going deep into tournaments only to crumble when the pressure is at its greatest. They have not beaten a side ranked in the top four of the FIFA Men’s World Rankings in a knockout match since the rankings were introduced in 1992, while Gareth Southgate had already guided them to two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final before this summer.

A bronze medal may help paper over the cracks for some, but it does little to disguise the shortcomings that ultimately cost England a place in the final. Tuchel has borne much of the criticism, having chosen to sit back and defend a slender lead that his side failed to protect in a dramatic last-minute defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals.

And while it is the German who has been tasked with using his tournament pedigree to get England over the finishing line, another player is feeling the heat too – though perhaps through no real fault of his own.

Neville Names England Star As ‘Massive Problem’ For Tuchel at World Cup

REUTERS/Lee Smith

Neville is wary of being too critical of England given he never expected the team to reach the final even before a ball was kicked. But he also couldn’t help thinking that the fitness issues of Declan Rice ultimately weighed England down in their hunt for a first trophy in six decades.

The Manchester United legend believes Rice, one of the most important members of the squad, was only half-fit and then suffered a bout of sickness in the knockout stages. “The biggest positive from England’s point of view was getting to a semi-final,” Neville said on The Peter Crouch Podcast, going on to explain he thought they’d crash out before then. On the talent of the squad, he continued:

Rice has been dealing with a hamstring issue and had an injection at the back end of last year to deal with it. The 27-year-old also had a period of illness during the World Cup and was withdrawn at half-time during England’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway.

Arsenal played 63 matches in all competitions last season as they reached the Champions League final as well as winning the Premier League title. He played in 55 of those and, with his Arsenal teammates, joined the England camp later as they took a few days rest.

Declan Rice’s Thoughts on World Cup Heartbreak

Sam Navarro / IMAGN Images via Reuters

Although ‘gutted’ about the semi-final defeat to Argentina, Rice insisted he was ‘proud’ of his England teammates after they secured a third-place finish at the World Cup. The midfielder said, as per Metro: “This is the best England group for a very long time. That’s a fact. No-one can take that away from us.

He concluded: “I think we need to keep going. I do think it’s close. It’s a game of small margins. It’s football and the other night we lost on margins and in the boxes.”

Manchester United are reportedly leading West Ham United in the race to sign one of English football’s most highly-rated young defenders.

INEOS’ main focus this summer has been on a midfield rebuild following Casemiro’s departure and two new faces have since arrived. Andrey Santos became Michael Carrick’s first summer signing, arriving from Chelsea in a £50 million deal and the club triggered a £35 million release clause to sign Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.

The Red Devils remain focused on bringing a third midfielder to Old Trafford amid speculation linking them with a move for AS Roma’s Manu Kone. But they are also building with the future in mind and that includes in defence.

Man Utd in Pole Position to Sign Nelson

Andrew Boyers via Action Images via Reuters

Manchester United are reportedly battling it out with West Ham for Leicester City centre-back Ben Nelson, per Football FanCast. The 22-year-old is in high demand as he heads into the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester are willing to sell Nelson, described as someone who has ‘got everything’, for just £10 million, and that has alerted not only the two Premier League clubs. There’s interest from Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach and Serie A outfit Torino, although his price tag is proving a problem for those outside of the English top flight.

Nelson’s agents have reportedly told the Foxes to let him leave following relegation to EFL League One. He caught the eye last season despite suffering the drop, making 24 Championship appearances.

Carrick’s Red Devils are said to be making “the most advanced approaches”, and he is “desperate to get a big move.” Given West Ham will be playing in the second tier next season, he might be more enticed to take the step up and head to Old Trafford.

Why Nelson Could be Maguire’s Heir

Nelson, born in Northampton, has been likened to Harry Maguire due to his six-foot-five-inch frame and ability to play as a right-footed left-sided central defender. There is a possibility that United view the English youngster as the ideal long-term heir to Maguire.

Maguire extended his stay with the club earlier this year when he penned a new one-year contract extension. At 33, he isn’t getting any younger and will eventually need to be replaced.

Carrick was handed headaches in defence last season amid Matthijs de Ligt’s lengthy spell on the sidelines with a back injury. Lisandro Martinez picked up a calf problem, which forced Noussair Mazraoui to play as a central defender for a brief period.

Chaos has ensued at the Emirates after Chelsea hijacked Arsenal and swooped for England attacker Morgan Rogers.

The Gunners made Rogers their top target heading into the summer transfer window and were pursuing a deal for the Aston Villa star. That was until their London rivals agreed on a British transfer record £117 million deal with Villa on Saturday.

This has thrown Mikel Arteta’s plans into disarray and sent his transfer chiefs back to the drawing board. The name on most fans’ lips as the ideal alternative is Bradley Barcola, and it appears the Premier League champions are ready to go all in for the Paris Saint-Germain attacker.

Arsenal Could Turn to Barcola After Rogers Snub

Paul Childs via Reuters

Barcola has been on Arsenal’s radar amid PSG eyeing RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande. In June, the Ivorian reportedly snubbed Liverpool and made a move to the Parc des Princes his preference.

This has cast doubts over Barcola’s future with the European champions and as a result given Arteta a chance to sign the Frenchman. Tom Collomosse of Mail Sport has suggested the Gunners may now make a concrete move for the 23-year-old.

Collomosse wrote on X that he “wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal now made a proper move for Bradley Barcola.” After preparing to pay big money for Rogers, it seems likely that they will switch their focus to the French international.

Barcola enjoyed a fine World Cup campaign with Les Bleus, scoring three goals and providing one assist in eight games. That included a superb strike in a 6-4 loss to England in the third-place play-off.

The French winger, described as a ‘superstar’, came into the tournament off the back of another impressive campaign with PSG. He managed 13 goals and seven assists in 49 games, albeit not as a guaranteed starter due to the star-studded attacking options in Luis Enrique’s squad.

Barcola Might Be a Better Signing Than Rogers

via Reuters

For Arsenal, there is now pressure to sign a top-quality attacker after missing out on Rogers. That desperation could work in PSG’s favour if they come calling for Barcola, as they will likely be willing to pay a huge fee for the former Lyon star.

Previous reports indicate that the Parisians value Barcola at around £112 million and claim that Liverpool are also interested. When you factor in how much Chelsea have spent on Rogers, it’s understandable why the Ligue 1 champions will demand such a fee.

Barcola is a different profile to Rogers given he is a modern winger whose main strength is his explosive pace. It could be argued that this is more of a fit for Arteta and a front three including the Frenchman and Bukayo Saka would certainly excite the Gunners fanbase.