Troy Deeney believes England will come unstuck against Argentina should they reach the World Cup semi-finals — a warning that cuts to the heart of a tournament campaign he says has left him with “more questions than answers”.
The former Watford striker, speaking to The Sun, laid out his fears for Thomas Tuchel’s side despite their quarter-final clash with Norway on Saturday. “England haven’t dominated one period of any game,” he said. “My wife said to me the other day, that every time I speak about England, I sound like I hate them. I don’t, I just have an expectation.”
“Troy Deeney predicts Argentina would knock England out of the World Cup if they meet in the semi-finals.”
Deeney pointed to Tuchel’s pre-tournament promise of a front-foot England. “We were told by Thomas Tuchel, we were going to be front footed and we were going to see a real different England. I haven’t seen that yet in this tournament. Every single game I’ve watched, I’ve been left with more questions.”
England booked their place in the last eight with a memorable victory against Mexico at the Azteca, while Argentina were forced to stage a dramatic rescue act to find a way past Egypt. Should both advance, Deeney predicts Argentina would prevail. “It’s going to be tough because we’ve struggled to break down well-organised low block teams,” he said, adding that Norway pose their own threat: “They’re a big team, so they’re not going to be afraid of set pieces. … They’ve got that fella [Erling Haaland] up front.”
Despite his concerns, Deeney expects England to beat Norway. “I’m expecting us to win but at the moment I’d still fancy Argentina to beat us in the semi-final if we both get there. It’s time we put a performance together.”
Complicating matters, England will be without defender Jarell Quansah for the quarter-final, with the centre-back suspended. Several other England players are also at risk of missing a potential semi-final through suspension — a concern that adds to the pressure on Tuchel’s side to deliver a commanding display against Norway.
England will avoid two of the pre-tournament favourites — France and Spain — until at least the final, with France facing Morocco and Spain meeting Belgium in the other quarter-finals. But for Deeney, the path only gets harder. “I don’t subscribe to the theory that because England won, we’re going to win the World Cup.”