Jude Bellingham took six-word blast at Jordan Pickford in England disaster | Football | Sport
Jude Bellingham wasn’t happy about Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser (Image: BBC)
Jude Bellingham appeared to furiously moan, “it’s the middle of the goal,” after Enzo Fernandez drew Argentina level with England in their World Cup semi-final. Jordan Pickford was unable to prevent Chelsea midfielder Fernandez finding the net from range following a short corner, despite hurling himself full-length to his right. Bellingham seemed to be watching replays of the goal on screens inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
He had no line of sight at the time, as he was the sole player attempting to close down Fernandez. Yet having watched it back, Bellingham appeared anything but satisfied with Pickford’s effort. Gary Neville was equally swift to lay into the Everton shot-stopper. Speaking on the Stick to Football World Cup Watch Party, the former Manchester United and Three Lions defender said: “Not gone in the corner, that, he’s got to save that. Got to save it. He’s past it.”
Neville also took Pickford to task for failing to claim a shot earlier in the match, saying: “Don’t let him shoot from there. Got to catch that. It’s straight at him. Honestly, it’s going over as well.”
Roy Keane, however, opted to give credit to Fernandez. He said: “What a strike, what a strike that is. ‘Keeper gets nowhere near it, look at the ‘keeper, he’s nowhere near it. It’s the power.”
Pickford was not the only target of Neville’s frustration, however. Before the goal, he remarked: “We have stopped playing, we’ve sat back. We’re sleeping, we’re sleeping.”
Keane also deemed the winning goal scored by Lautaro Martinez entirely foreseeable, remarking: “I said he was going to score, didn’t I say he was going to score?”
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Jordan Pickford failed to save Enzo Fernandez’s shot (Image: Getty)
Gary Neville wasn’t impressed with Jordan Pickford’s failure to save Enzo Fernandez’s shot (Image: Stick to Football)
“Martinez was going to score with the header, didn’t I say? It’s all down the right-hand side [to Messi]. What a game. I said Martinez would score. What an option he is off the bench.”
He further stated: “Give credit where it’s due – it’s his [Messi’s] weaker foot. We are watching greatness here, I am telling you. We are watching greatness, appreciate it, seriously.”
It emerged that Keane had correctly forecast the final scoreline, with Ian Wright conceding: “You had 2-1 Argentina…” Smirking in response, the Irishman asked rhetorically: “Who had 2-1 Argentina? Me?”
Post-match, a devastated Bellingham said: “I think we can take a lot of experience from this, but it is so gutting. I wanted to be a part of an England squad that finally done it and got it over the line. To be here, telling the fans the same things they’ve heard for years, it’s really gutting.
“I wish I could give one more win or two more wins, but at the moment, my head is a bit fuzzy with disappointment, so I’m sorry.”
