Carragher's Strategy: Attack Messi for World Cup Success
Jamie Carragher believes England’s best chance of reaching the World Cup final might come from attacking Lionel Messi, not just fearing him.
The 39-year-old has lit up the tournament, dragging Argentina towards a second straight final with eight goals and two assists. Every touch has carried menace, every run a sense of inevitability. Thomas Tuchel’s England know they have to stop him to end a 60-year wait for a place in Sunday’s showpiece.
Carragher’s message? Respect Messi, plan for Messi – but don’t be hypnotised by him.
‘You can exploit Messi’
"It's nothing new with Messi. He's been around for 20 years and no one has found the answer," Carragher said, acknowledging the scale of the task.
"There has to be a plan. I don't think it will be a man-marking job, but they need a plan. The players will be expecting that. It's not admitting defeat in any way. You're coming up against arguably the greatest player of all time. He's shown that in this tournament too."
Then came the twist.
"Also, they should be thinking about how they can exploit Lionel Messi as well. He walks about when the opposition have got the ball, so that doesn't mean England's left-back should stand next to him for the whole of the game.
"They can exploit the fact that Argentina only defend with nine outfield players."
That is the fault line Carragher believes England must hit. Messi’s genius with the ball is unquestioned; his work without it is the trade-off Argentina accept. For Tuchel, that could be the space to launch England’s own punches, especially down the flank that would usually track Messi’s zone.
Echoes of Croatia
Carragher also senses a familiar pattern brewing. The semi-final in Atlanta, he feels, could resemble England’s opening game against Croatia, when Tuchel’s side found joy against a team brave enough to push on.
"I don't think there's too much between the teams. I'm hoping that this game has got elements of the Croatia game in it, where you're playing against a side who fancy themselves as a good team," he said.
"I certainly don't think they'll be getting everybody behind the ball. They'll try to tackle us, and will that leave space for ourselves to attack? Their full-backs like to go high and wide, but they don't really play with wingers, so maybe that's something we can exploit.
"I'm hoping that it's a different type of game than what we've seen from the majority of England games throughout this competition. I still don't think England have been anywhere near the best in performance-wise."
It is a blunt assessment. England are in the last four, yet Carragher is clear: they have more gears to find. Argentina’s ambition, he suggests, might just tempt them into the kind of open contest that suits Tuchel’s more adventurous players.
Tuchel, Bellingham and the ‘rift’ that isn’t
The build-up has not been without noise. Tuchel’s comments after the quarter-final win over Norway – questioning England’s quality on the ball and warning they nearly threw the tie away – sparked headlines and a pointed response from Jude Bellingham.
The midfielder, asked about his manager’s remarks, hinted Tuchel did not fully grasp what it felt like in the Miami heat, where temperatures climbed above 33C and the humidity pushed conditions towards 40C.
Carragher, though, dismissed any notion of a fracture inside the camp.
"I didn't think there was anything wrong at all with Tuchel's comments," he said. "He's probably a little bit emotional after the game. England didn't play particularly well and could have easily lost that game against Norway.
"I totally understand Tuchel. We know what he was like at Chelsea. That's one of his plus points. He tells you straight. You've seen him against [Djed] Spence in this tournament.
"In a World Cup, a manager's got to be decisive. He's got to make big decisions, he's got to tell people straight. You can't wait. Things need to happen right away. I thought the interview from the manager was brilliant.
"Jude, again, he's emotional after the game. He's just scored a couple of goals, and then he's realised how hard it was on the pitch, and the conditions as well. I could understand that, but Thomas Tuchel will be absolutely fine with that."
No crisis. Just the raw edge of tournament football: a demanding manager, a star midfielder feeling the strain, and a squad still trying to hit top form with the biggest game of their lives looming.
Saka over Madueke – no holding back now
On the pitch, Tuchel’s selection puzzle has narrowed. Declan Rice is fit. Reece James is back and featured off the bench against Norway. The real question lies on the right flank.
Noni Madueke has started four times this summer. Bukayo Saka only three. The Arsenal forward has been managing fitness issues and has not yet hit his usual level. Even so, Carragher is adamant: this is Saka’s game.
"I think Madueke's had a lot of chances in this tournament," he said. "It hasn't quite happened for him. Saka certainly hasn't been at his best, but as we know, he's not 100 per cent fit.
"I'm just hoping with each minute or longer he's on the pitch and other appearances, we start to see a little bit of what we know of Bukayo Saka.
"These are the games you take a chance in. If he's right, or you think you can get something from him, you've got to pick him. There's no worrying about what comes after that. I know it's a World Cup final after that, but this game is too important."
No thought of saving legs. No thought of rotating for freshness. England stand one match from a World Cup final, up against Messi at full tilt.
Tuchel must pick his runners, find a way to cage the greatest of them all, and, if Carragher is right, have the courage to attack the space Messi leaves behind.
