Jamie Carragher says he cannot bring himself to dream of England lifting the World Cup and the Three Lions’ chances of ending their 60-year wait for the prestigious trophy are ‘remote’.
England had looked on the brink of an embarrassing exit at the round of 32 stage, with DR Congo holding a one-goal lead after Brian Cipenga’s seventh-minute opener in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Harry Kane and Co looked disjointed and lacking in ideas going forward, that is until Thomas Tuchel made a double change on the hour-mark as Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka replaced the ineffective Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke.
Fifteen minutes on and it was Gordon who provided the assist for Kane’s towering header to make it all square, setting up a tense finish at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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And with extra-time beckoning, Kane delivered again when his country needed him most, working himself space on the edge of the box before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the roof of the impressive Lionel Mpasi’s net.
There were rapturous scenes amongst England’s travelling support as Tuchel’s men held firm to secure their place in the last 16, where they will do battle with co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca on Monday.
While a potential quarter-final contest versus one of Brazil or Norway awaits England after that, Carragher is refusing to look too far ahead given the side’s mixed performances up to this point.
‘After scraping into the round of 16, we must be realistic and accept that our chances of winning the World Cup are remote,’ the ex-England and Liverpool defender wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
‘With Kane in such form, there is still the slimmest hope. Without him, we would be flying home already.
‘Based on the past 12 months, Kane should win the Ballon d’Or. Unfortunately, he probably won’t because in a World Cup year it is bound to go to the star player of the winning nation.
‘Much as I want to believe England can still win it, there is nothing to support that opinion, especially after recent performances.
‘If Argentina retain the cup, Messi will win the Ballon d’Or. If France win the competition, one of their key men will get it.
‘Kane’s Bayern team-mate Michael Olise is a strong contender, and even though by Kylian Mbappé’s standards he has had a frustrating year with his club, that will be forgotten when judged against his fantastic World Cup displays.’
Ultimately, Carragher believes Tuchel was ‘saved’ from humiliation by one of the ‘true greats’ in Kane.
‘Whatever happens to England from here, Thomas Tuchel is one of the best managers of his generation,’ he added.
‘And yet there he was, 15 minutes from ignominy.
‘One of the true greats saved him, because that’s what World Cups are about – the most gifted coming up with these majestic moments.’
According to Carragher, Kane has now proven beyond doubt that he is England’s greatest ever centre-forward having surpassed the likes of Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney.
‘Nothing stirs my blood in football more than a brilliant player with the strongest character and mentality, defying expectations,’ he went on.
‘This is why I have loved watching Kane as much in the second half of his career, when he has been forced to reinvent himself playing deeper, as when he was a more traditional number nine.
‘A few years ago the question was asked as to where Kane stood in the list of great England strikers, alongside Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney. He has blown those arguments away.
‘His double on Wednesday reaffirmed that he could still deliver when his country most needs it, rather than slowing down like most strikers in their 30s.’
After Kane’s second-half heroics in Atlanta, Tuchel likened Kane and the striker’s Golden Boot rivals ‘sharks’ sniffing out ‘blood’ in the opposition.
Can England realistically win this year's World Cup?
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Yes
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No
‘They’re all sharks. If they smell blood, they come and score,’ the German explained.
On England’s performance as a whole, Tuchel said: ‘Things stayed difficult but this team did not accept a defeat.
‘It makes me very proud because they did what was necessary. They showed up and we got a deserved win, even if it was a late one.’
The former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss went on: ‘It just shows you the level of determination and the level of belief and also the level of focus.
‘And it fits into my narrative that I didn’t feel the weight on their shoulders.
‘We played with exactly the right attitude and we trusted our spirit.’
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