Thomas Tuchel delivered a strong rant during the hydration break (Image: Getty)
Thomas Tuchel unleashed a fierce touchline tirade at his England players during a heated water break, demanding greater effort and urging them to heed his coaching staff’s instructions, according to a professional lip reader. England found themselves trailing in their World Cup quarter-final clash against Norway after Andreas Schjelderup’s fortunate strike, before fighting back to claim a 2-1 victory in extra-time, courtesy of a Jude Bellingham brace.
The Real Madrid midfielder slotted home the equaliser on the stroke of half-time, before striking again three minutes into extra-time. However, England had precious little to show for their efforts in the opening 45 minutes, and the hydration break afforded Tuchel the perfect opportunity to deliver a stern warning to his squad about the very real prospect of an early exit. Professional lip-reader Nicola Hickling assessed the footage and told the Daily Mail that Tuchel said: “Work harder. Go faster. You’re so static. You’re just standing. I need to tell you… Listen to the staff. We’ve got to fight for our positions. Listen to the staff. Keep the ball low. Less pushing, more focus on the ball. At corners, you’ve got to go right.
“Don’t come from the front [directed at Anthony Gordon]. Your best position is on the right – that’s a fact. Every time you come from the front, the ball gets lost. Now listen: keep right, stay right.”
Despite Tuchel’s rousing dressing-down, it was Norway who appeared the more revitalised side when play resumed following the interval. John Stones gave the ball away inside the England penalty area moments later, nearly presenting Erling Haaland with a gilt-edged opportunity before Jordan Pickford rushed off his line to gather possession.
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Haaland was soon afforded another opening with a close-range header, and England paid the price shortly afterwards. A careless touch from Harry Kane during a counter-attack triggered Norway’s move, culminating in Schjelderup sweeping home what had been intended as a cross. Yet the German manager remained deeply dissatisfied with his team’s overall showing.
“We were lucky,” he told ITV after the match. “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic, we’re in the last four. It’s amazing (but) I’m not happy with the performance. The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played. Sloppy, tactical mistakes, not fast enough. Not repetitive enough. We were lucky enough.”
Bellingham shared a different view from his manager (Image: Getty)
Bellingham, though, appeared to hold a rather different perspective from his manager. “Maybe,” he said when asked whether the criticism was warranted. But maybe he [Tuchel] doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, Odegaard, Nusa, Sorloth.
Tuchel’s instructions eventually began to register, however, and England struck right on the stroke of half-time. They maintained that momentum throughout extra time, where Bellingham produced the decisive goal with his second of the evening. “That’s not an easy team to play against.
“So, I think we’ve tried to create a positive environment. We should continue that going into the final four. I can’t speak highly enough of the lads. You’re not going to win every game, popping the ball and making 1,000 passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty, and we’ve done that again tonight.”
The 52-year-old manager then moved to clarify his comments, adding: “No one suggests that I’m not impressed with the shift that they put in, the effort, the spirit, the belief. To overcome adversity and to dig in and to find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level. They cannot get enough praise for that. But I’m also a football coach and I think we can play better.
“There’s no doubt I’m proud, and I’m happy and I feel so connected to this team because they just do whatever it takes.” England will now take on Argentina in the semi-finals, with the match set to take place on Wednesday, July 15 (8pm).