Michael Owen slams ‘nonsense’ reaction to England’s Mexico win

Michael Owen has warned England not to get carried away with the performance against Mexico and insists they need to be better if they are to win the World Cup.

The Three Lions are into the last eight, where they will take on Norway on Saturday in Miami after a memorable victory in Mexico City on Sunday.

Thomas Tuchel’s men emerged from the Azteca with a 3-2 win in a match filled with drama and tension.

After Jude Bellingham had scored twice to put England 2-0 up, Julian Quinones pulled one back before Jarell Quansah was dismissed, leaving the Three Lions with 10 men.

Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot but then gave away a spot-kick, which Raul Jimenez converted, leaving England with over 20 minutes to defend their lead with just 10 players.

They did just that and have been roundly praised for their efforts in enemy territory, facing the challenge of altitude at the Azteca.

Former England striker Owen was impressed by their attitude, but says any claims of ‘bravery’ are misplaced and Tuchel’s side needs to show something more against better teams that are to come.

‘They stuck together. They found a way. That takes character and it will only strengthen the belief within the squad. Fans are right to be proud of what they saw,’ Owen wrote in the Daily Mail.

‘But I will also say this – I think we mistake what bravery in football actually is. We are celebrating players throwing themselves in front of shots as if they’ve gone to war. Come on, a football is a bag of air. If I walked into my local pub and asked 11 blokes if they’d throw their body in front of a ball for England, they’d all do it.

‘It felt like all we needed at the Azteca was for one of our players to have a ball smashed in their face and a bit of claret on the white jersey and they’d be worshipped forever. That’s a typical English attitude and it goes back generations. It’s nonsense and we’re fooling ourselves. We’re better than that. We need to be better than that.

‘Real bravery is wanting the ball when 80,000 people are willing you to make a mistake. It’s showing for possession when everyone else is hiding. It’s taking the ball off your mate when he’s in trouble, knowing that if you lose it you’ll be the one criticised. That’s football bravery and that’s what England need more of, if they’re going to win this World Cup.’

The 89-cap England international warned the current squad: ‘If against France, Spain or Argentina, England play like they did versus Mexico, we’ll get our backsides kicked.’

Des Walker was more sympathetic to the challenge England faced in Mexico, saying it was one of the country’s great World Cup wins.

The defender who won 59 caps for the Three Lions told Bet Victor Casino: ‘I think people doubted them and, having been in that situation where people doubt you, it’s nice to get yourself over the line.

‘Everything isn’t always about performance. It’s a cup competition and, at the end of the day, it’s about getting your name in the hat for the next round. That’s what it’s about.

‘People will say Mexico away isn’t one of the great England wins, but for me it was. That was a proper away fixture, one of the toughest places you can go, and England did enough to win.

‘I think the more adversity England face, the more they seem to thrive.

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