The BBC pundit made a remark about England star Morgan Rogers after being handed a surprise start by head coach Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup semi final vs Argentina
BBC presenter Mark Chapman explained what Wayne Rooney had written down in his notes(Image: BBC)
Wayne Rooney has praised England head coach Thomas Tuchel for making an instinctive decision to start Morgan Rogers against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. BBC’s lead presenter Mark Chapman noticed that the Three Lions icon noted down Tuchel’s comments about Rogers’ selection, after handing the Aston Villa forward a shock start in the last-four showdown.
Tuchel remarked that Rogers’ cameo in the 2-1 win over Norway in the quarter-final was ‘special’, earning him a spot over Bukayo Saka on the right flank of England’s attack. Speaking before the match, BBC pundit Rooney explained why he liked Tuchel’s spontaneous call to bring in Rogers.
Chapman said to Rooney: “You’ve just written down on your notes that you really like the ‘it’s just a feeling’ [response] when he talked about selecting Morgan Rogers.”
And Rooney responded: “I like that. Normally managers look at tactically how they want to play and how fresh the players are and how ready they are. But I think that top managers go on a feeling.
“He obviously has a feeling Morgan Rogers can have a big impact on this game. That’s what he believes and he’s gone with it. I really like that.”
Fellow pundit Micah Richards gave his analysis on the 23-year-old’s inclusion, believing that the Manchester City academy product’s versatility makes him a useful player for Tuchel and England.
“The good thing with Morgan Rogers is he can come off the left, he can play in the centre and he can come off the right and do all those roles effectively,” Richards said during the discussion. “That’s the most important thing about it.”
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page
Rogers scored 11 goals and provided seven assists for Villa last season. He has had to be patient for his chance with England due to the form of Jude Bellingham, who is England’s joint-top scorer in the tournament with six goals.
Tuchel sung Rogers’ praises, revealing that his training performances had been equally as impressive as his cameo against Norway.
“It’s a feeling from the coach – a gut feeling. I feel that he has something special to give today,” the German coach said.
“I felt he was very strong in the match against Norway. In between, he had outstanding training sessions to follow up on that performance. It’s just a feeling.”
Tuchel also made another bold decision to start Djed Spence ahead of Nico O’Reilly, while a fit-again Reece James comes into the side for Ezri Konsa: “They are specialists. They deserve to play. Reece has the quality to play at the highest level. He does not show any nerves.
“Djed, we want his speed and agility. He impressed in the last matches from the bench. We want the full-backs to be involved in the attack, that’s why.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
