England have been compared to the ‘world’s ugliest daughter’ by an American pundit ahead of Wednesday night’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
Thomas Tuchel’s side booked their place in the last four with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway on Saturday, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice to keep England’s hopes of winning a first World Cup since 1966 alive.
But former Leeds United and New York Red Bulls midfielder Mike Grella was left distinctly unimpressed by England’s display, producing one of the tournament’s most brutal assessments during CBS Sports’ post-match coverage.
“The good news is you have two games left, semi-final and final, and you can actually win a World Cup for the first time since 1966,” he said.
“The bad news is you’re not very good at football.”
Grella then delivered an eye-catching analogy as he questioned England’s performances despite their progress through the knockout stages.
He added: “It’s like having the world’s ugliest daughter and saying, ‘You’re beautiful, baby.'”
The former midfielder argued England were fortunate to overcome Norway and insisted their overall level had fallen well below expectations.
England have been compared to the ‘world’s ugliest daughter’ by an American pundit ahead of Wednesday night’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina
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“You’re not good with the ball, you’re not good at transitions, you leave unbelievable spaces in between the lines,” he said.
“By English standards, it was a really poor performance.
“The impressive part is how poor you are and you’re able to get away with the win.”
England’s display has become a major talking point ahead of their blockbuster showdown with Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Atlanta.
England’s record at the World Cup | GETTY/ GB NEWS
Tuchel himself admitted he was dissatisfied with aspects of the performance despite seeing his side reach the semi-finals.
“We made life very difficult for ourselves today,” the England manager said.
“The result is amazing. But not happy with the performance.”
The German highlighted England’s technical errors and felt they failed to move the ball with enough quality.
He fumed: “Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough.
“We were lucky today.”
England beat Norway on Saturday to set up a semi-final showdown with Argentina
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However, Tuchel also praised his players’ resilience and determination after another comeback victory.
“No one suggests that I’m not impressed with the shift that they put in, the effort, the spirit, the belief,” he said.
“To overcome adversity and to dig in and to find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level.”
England now face reigning champions Argentina on Wednesday, knowing victory would secure their first appearance in a World Cup final since Sir Alf Ramsey’s side lifted the trophy at Wembley in 1966.
