Jamie Carragher believes England could use Lionel Messi in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
The 38-year-old has arguably been the player of the tournament this summer, scoring eight goals and adding two assists as he looks set to lead Argentina to a second successive World Cup final.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will look to block Messi’s path on Sunday as they attempt to end their 60-year wait for a final. But Carragher believes the Three Lions should also look to exploit Messi’s defensive weaknesses as they seek to nullify his threat.
“It’s nothing new for Messi, he’s been around for 20 years and no one has found the answer,” Carragher said.
“There has to be a plan. It won’t be a man-marking job, but there needs to be a plan. The players will be expecting it. It’s not conceding defeat in any way. You will be playing against arguably the best player of all time and he has shown that in this tournament as well.
“They also have to think about how they can utilize Lionel Messi. He walks when the opposition gets the ball, so that doesn’t mean the England left-back has to stand next to him the whole game.
“They can take advantage of the fact that Argentina only defends with nine outfield players.”
Carragher is also hoping the semi-final in Atlanta follows a similar pattern to the opening game against Croatia, with Tuchel’s men able to take advantage of a team willing to take the lead.
“I don’t think there is that much difference between the two teams. I hope this game has elements of a Croatia game against a team that considers themselves a good team,” he added.
“I certainly don’t think they’re going to get everyone behind the ball. They’re going to try to tackle us, and that creates space for us to attack? Their full-backs like to move high and wide, but they don’t really play with the wingers, so maybe that’s something we can exploit.
“I’m hoping it’s a different type of game to what we’ve seen in most of England’s games throughout this tournament. I still don’t think England are anywhere near their best in terms of performance.”
‘There is nothing wrong with Tuchel’s remarks about Norway’
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Jamie Carragher has intervened in the conversation surrounding Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham’s post-match comments and defended the manager.
Carragher also jumped to Tuchel’s defense following his comments after the game against Norway. The German was critical of England’s ability to control the ball and revealed his belief they almost ruined their quarter-final clash.
Shortly afterwards, it was revealed that Jude Bellingham had a comment on these comments, suggesting that Tuchel has no idea what it’s like to play in the extreme conditions in Miami. At the time of the crash, the temperature was over 33 degrees and the humidity felt close to 40 degrees.
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Jude Bellingham responds to Thomas Tuchel’s criticism of England’s performance against Norway.
But Carragher dismissed suggestions that Tuchel’s assessment would cause a rift in the England camp.
“I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Tuchel’s comments,” Carragher said. “He was probably a bit emotional after the game. England didn’t play particularly well and could have easily lost against Norway.
“I completely understand Tuchel. We know how he was at Chelsea. That is one of his strengths. He speaks honestly to you. You have seen him play against Spence in this tournament.
“At the World Cup, the manager has to be decisive. He has to make big decisions, he has to be honest with people. He can’t wait. Everything has to happen immediately. I thought the manager’s interview was great.
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Gary Neville says he has ‘no problem’ with the post-match exchange between Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham following England’s World Cup win over Norway.
“Jude, once again he was emotional after the game. He had just scored a few goals and realized how difficult the pitch and the situation were. I can understand that, but Thomas Tuchel would be perfectly fine with that.”
Carra chose Saka to start Madueke.
With Declan Rice fit and Reece James returning as a substitute against Norway, Tuchel’s selection problem appears to have been reduced to who should start on the right flank.
Noni Madueke has made four substitute appearances this summer, compared to three for Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka.
Carragher believes Bukayo Saka should feature in England v Argentina match
Saka has struggled with fitness issues all summer but Carragher believes Tuchel should start him against Argentina and avoid thinking about saving him for a potential final.
“I think Maduke has a lot of opportunities in this tournament,” he said. “It hasn’t happened for him. Saka is clearly not in top form but as we know he is not 100% fit.”
“I’m hoping that every time he’s on the pitch or makes another appearance, we see a little bit of what we know about Bukayo Saka.
“This is a game where you can take your chances. If you think he’s right or you can get something from him, you should pick him. You don’t have to worry about what happens after that. I know it’s the World Cup final after that, but this game is too important.”
