England captain Harry Kane says the squad are “completely together” before their World Cup semi-final against Argentina after Jude Bellingham questioned Thomas Tuchel’s assessment of their performance against Norway.
They secured a place in the final four with a draining 2-1 win against Norway in the Miami heat on Saturday, and now face a match in Atlanta on Wednesday (20:00 BST) against the defending world champions, who saw off Switzerland 3-1.
Speaking after the Norway match on Saturday, Tuchel said England “got lucky”, and that he was “not happy” with his side’s performance in “every sense”.
When asked about his manager’s comments, Bellingham replied: “Yeah, well, whatever. It’s difficult out there – it’s a tough shift.”
Speaking to BBC Sport on Monday, Kane said the England camp is far from divided.
“When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn’t really know what had been said, what do you want Jude [Bellingham] to say?” Kane said.
“We had just been through a battle. It is easy to try and create this division – it seems like an English thing to do at these major tournaments.
“But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our complete togetherness – not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.”
Tuchel’s managerial style is different to that of his predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate, but Kane said that is not a bad thing.
“He [Tuchel] wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When he talks, it is never scripted. That is what makes him who he is.
“When it just comes natural you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach. He is one of the best managers in the world for a reason. We understand it. Over the past two years we have got to know him and know what makes him happy.”