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Explore AFP | Moataz Elgammal | Jun 22, 2026 05:24+08:00
'That's his job isn't it?' - Roy Keane hits out at 'over the top' Thomas Tuchel praise after England's opening World Cup win over Croatia
T. Tuchel | R. Keane | England World Cup | England vs Croatia | Croatia
Roy Keane has firmly dismissed the glowing praise directed at Thomas Tuchel following England's dramatic 4-2 World Cup victory over Croatia in Group L. While several players lauded the manager for an inspiring half-time team talk that seemed to change the game, Keane insists Tuchel was merely fulfilling the basic requirements of his role and believes the reaction has been entirely blown out of proportion.
England players hail half-time impact
England secured a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday night in their opening World Cup Group L match. Playing in front of 70,389 fans, the half-time break captured the attention. Tuchel delivered a transformative team talk after his side were pegged back to 2-2. Harry Kane stated: "Credit to the manager. The manager gave us a speech at halftime just to say 'Look, if we lose, we lose in our way.' I think you saw that in the second half, we went full gas and they could not live with it. That’s the level we have to set for every game, credit to everyone, first game of the tournament and a great result against a tough side."
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Keane questions 'over the top' reaction
Declan Rice echoed his captain's sentiments regarding the turnaround, adding: "He was top at halftime, the words he used, settled everyone. I can’t say too much, it was one of those moments where you are like 'Wow, what a top manager'. I think we went out second half and everyone was relaxed and we just went for it."
However, former Republic of Ireland and Manchester United midfielder Keane offered a highly contrasting view, dismissing the hype surrounding Tuchel. Keane believes the praise is completely unjustified. Keane said on ITV: "Is it a bit of an overreaction to his half-time team talk? What’s he supposed to do? That is his job isn’t it? That’s the manager’s job to give them the information and they go out and produce. That’s what any top manager will do, you get them at half-time and you remind them what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s a bit over the top."
Reading the dressing room situation
Keane explained that assessing the dressing room atmosphere is a basic requirement. He added: "Every game’s different and every situation is different. I’ve worked with some great managers. Sometimes you go in at half-time and you think you’re going to get a hard time and they go easy on you, sometimes you think you’re doing well and they go hard on you. It’s what you smell in the game, what he thinks the players need. He’s well qualified to do that."
Tuchel clarified his approach when asked how he turned the tide for England, who scored twice in the second half against Croatia through Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford. He stated when revealing his dressing room words: "I said even if we lose, it will not change my perception of the last 17 days. But let’s do it our way. We’re too focused on the result, too focused on protecting what we anyway don’t have at the moment. The second goal was just an example. I think we were a back seven and we didn’t defend the goal. So why be a back seven anyway? If something happens, the result doesn’t go our way, we want to play this match the way we want to and the way we were together for 17 days. I just tried to encourage them to go for it."
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What is next for England?
England have set a powerful tone for their World Cup campaign after claiming all three points in their demanding Group L opener. Tuchel and his squad will now shift their focus to their next fixture against Ghana on Tuesday, where another win will see them through to the round of 32. Following that clash, they will conclude their group stage schedule with a game against Panama on Saturday.