Danny Murphy has insisted England are ‘in a good place’ heading into the World Cup knockout stages, but their chances of victory are likely to hinge on one player: captain Harry Kane. Speaking after England's 2-0 win over Panama, Murphy told the BBC that Kane's consistent goalscoring is why the Three Lions have a realistic shot at ending their 60-year wait for a men's major trophy.
England top group despite unconvincing displays
The Three Lions were far from their best again in their final group game, requiring second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to secure a comfortable victory over Panama. Having progressed as group winners, Thomas Tuchel's men will now face DR Congo in the round of 32, with a potential quarter-final against co-hosts Mexico on the horizon. England will need to improve as the tournament progresses if they are to fulfil their objective, but Murphy is confident they are on the right track.
‘I think it’s hard judging the group games because of the level of opposition that you play and the different styles,’ Murphy said. ‘I think it will suit us against the better teams when there’s more space with our dynamic players. There’s not that much to improve, I think sometimes in the final third against packed defences we need a bit more quality and speed in the play. But if you’re going to play on the front foot which Tuchel wants us to do then you are occasionally going to get caught on the break, you are going to concede some chances so I quite like where England are at. Maybe a little problem at right-back depending on how long Reece James takes to get back but I quite like where England are.’
Kane and Bellingham the key men
With Bellingham and Kane both in goalscoring form, England can boast two genuine matchwinners. Murphy feels it is the skipper who gives England a genuine chance of going all the way. He said: ‘Two outstanding players for me, Bellingham over the last couple of tournaments has been our best player. They are big game players and so often take responsibility. Bellingham was playing in a different role today but it doesn’t matter, he’s got that confidence and belief in himself. He makes big moments and he makes magic happen and he’s a wonderful talent. Kane, we expect him to score every time he plays and he more or less does and that’s why he’s the captain and the greatest goalscorer we’ve ever had and that’s why we’ve got a chance of winning the World Cup.’
Warning over DR Congo threat
Murphy did, however, have a word of warning for Tuchel and his squad, having watched firsthand how DR Congo frustrated Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in the competition, securing a 1-1 draw. ‘It’s not as dangerous as Senegal, I think they’ve got more quality forward players,’ he added. ‘The expectation of the nation can affect players we’ve seen that at previous tournaments. I think we’ll have too much for them but we’ve got to be careful they’ve got some talented players. They are defensively well organised, Portugal struggled to create chances against them.’
