England win 2-0 but CBS pundits rip into stars

England 2-0 – Thomas Tuchel’s England finished top of their World Cup group with a 2-0 win over Panama, goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. But on CBS in the US, former Premier League striker Troy Deeney and fellow pundits tore into the performance, calling wide play

England’s 2-0 win over Panama looked like the kind of result that silences criticism—Bellingham stabbed them ahead from a corner, then Harry Kane doubled the lead—but it didn’t play that way on American TV.

On CBS. former Watford forward Troy Deeney launched an unusually sharp post-match attack on the Three Lions. insisting that the wide areas showed a confidence that bordered on arrogance rather than control. He pointed directly to Bukayo Saka. Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke. accusing the trio of being “ignorant and arrogant” after England advanced to the last-32 with an unbeaten group record and finished top of the table.

Deeney’s anger was rooted in what he believed was repeated wastefulness in possession. He broke down the figures he claimed to have seen—“Have a look at the possession they have lost: 14 for Saka. 20 for Rashford and seven for Madueke”—and connected it to the way England tried to play around Panama while losing the ball too often.

He added that Madueke, introduced from the bench after being brought on in the 63rd minute, gave the ball away seven times. “If you watch the game, Madueke when he first came on kicked it past someone and straight out for a goal kick; am I meant to get excited?” Deeney said.

For Rashford, Deeney framed the problem as stubborn preference rather than instinct. “Rashford kept coming inside onto his right foot and wants to shoot, if the shooting option is not on “I’ll just kick it, someone will be there”, it is so wasteful.”

Deeney also suggested the second half exposed a widening gap between promise and execution. “The second half they got a platform because the ball was going out to the wide players better because Panama were getting a bit more confident and wanting to take them on. there were more spaces and one vs ones – [and] they got worse.”.

Then came the blunt verdict that turned a critique into a rebuke. “You know what they were, they were arrogant and ignorant. They felt “I’m quicker than that person. I am just going to run past them. I play for whatever club. I am better than that person”. You are playing against another man on the opposite side who plays for their national team and feels “it is important to me” and they are going home so they want to showcase everything against England. in front of the most views I am probably going to get in my career and show what I can do. ‘They were ignorant and arrogant.’”.

His rant didn’t stop with individual performances. Deeney said England fans have been “sold the dream” of attacking football under Thomas Tuchel. and warned that England still struggle to control games as the World Cup enters its knock-out phase. He insisted England players who have been billed as superstars can look “bang average too often. ” adding that the Three Lions are yet to have a good game in the tournament so far.

That view found backing on the same CBS panel. Former Watford striker Deeney’s critique was backed by American pundit Mike Grella. who questioned whether England should reconsider the narrative around their quality. Grella said England could reflect on whether they are simply “not that good at football. ” while pointing to the price tags attached to elite players. “This guy is worth £100m, this guy is worth £200m, you guys have got all these world beaters,” Grella said. “Maybe it is Tuchel. maybe it is Rashford. maybe it is this guy – ‘Do you guys ever think you’re not that good at football?’”.

Grella argued the margins haven’t been there, even in a tournament where England’s name draws attention. “You come to a World Cup and people want to see England play. you are synonymous with football.” He went on to compare the perceived gulf in resources: “This player is worth a billion. the Panama players if you put them together are maybe worth £60m. One player is worth the cost of the entire Panamanian team.”.

But he claimed England repeatedly fell short in the moments that matter most. “But you lose every 50/50 battle. you play slow and predictable. you do everything the opposing team want to do and have no street smarts. There has been six halves of football and five of them you played bad. one you play good because Croatia got tired at the end of the game.”.

Nigel Reo-Coker. the third member of the CBS punditry panel—former West Ham and Aston Villa midfielder—agreed with the direction of the criticism. He targeted how predictable England look when Rashford and Saka both try to cut inside onto their favoured foot. Reo-Coker warned that England have to lift their standards. insisting that “top class players don’t give the ball away. ” as he analysed the team’s tendency to lose possession.

None of this changes the football fact on the pitch: England booked their place in the last-32 by beating Panama 2-0 at the World Cup. They did so with a group record that included a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opener, a goalless draw against Ghana, and then the win over Panama.

Now the stakes shift quickly. England face DR Congo in the last-32 on July 1 in Atlanta. A victory would set up a last-16 tie against either co-hosts Mexico or Ecuador, to be played at the Azteca Stadium on July 6.

For England, the concern on American TV isn’t whether they got the result. It’s whether the performance that delivered it can survive the next round—when mistakes are punished faster and the arrogance Deeney warned against becomes even harder to hide.

England Panama World Cup Thomas Tuchel Jude Bellingham Harry Kane Bukayo Saka Marcus Rashford Noni Madueke Troy Deeney CBS Mike Grella Nigel Reo-Coker DR Congo Mexico Ecuador Atlanta Azteca Stadium