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No Writer
Jul 16
Average asking rent reaches record high

The property website said the figure was reached during the second quarter of this year. It was 1.9% higher than the previous quarter and 2.3% up on the same period in 2025. In London specifically, the average ask for monthly rent has climbed to another record of £2,791. The asking prices appear to be having at least a slight impact on demand. The number of rental homes is 1% down on last year, and they are receiving an average of 10 enquiries each, down from 11. In London, it's down further to eight enquiries each. In the North West, it's 14. Read more: What is Labour's Renters' Rights Act? Rightmove's Colleen Babcock said the strongest growth in the market was in "more affordable" northern areas. But Hamptons analyst David Fell said demand could ease further as a result of falling mortgage rates, with monthly payments being pushed below the level of rent some tenants are paying. It comes after an annual review of the UK's housing market found tenants are spending more of their income on rent than ever before – on average, 36.1% of their earnings.

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Bethany Minelle and Gemma Peplow, arts and entertainment reporters
Jul 14
Scott Mills was BBC's highest earner before his sacking, new figures reveal

Mills, 53, earned between £745,000 and £749,999 for the year ending in March 2026, according to the corporation's latest annual report (see the list of the BBC's highest-paid stars below). He had presented the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show for just over a year, after taking over from Zoe Ball in January 2025. Mills was sacked by the BBC shortly before it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into him in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a boy aged under 16 between 1997 and 2000. The police investigation was closed in 2019 after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. Mills' rise to the top of the list came as another departing BBC employee - former England footballer Gary Lineker - left the top 10. Lineker had been the corporation's top-paid star for the last eight years. Mark Chapman, one of the three presenters to replace Lineker on Match Of The Day, alongside Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, made it into 11th place on the list. Another celebrity out of the top 10 was Zoe Ball, last year's second-highest earner. She previously hosted the Radio 2 breakfast show, before briefly moving to a Saturday afternoon show last year. She has since left the BBC, and will present on Greatest Hits Radio from September. BBC political journalist Laura Kuenssberg was the highest-paid female staff member in the latest report. She was one of four women on the list alongside Naga Munchetty, Fiona Bruce and Sophie Rawoth. That is a slight increase on last year's list, which featured three women. Sara Cox, who moved from the Radio 2 drivetime slot to replace Mills earlier this month, didn't quite make it into the top 15 earners, with a salary band capped at £324,999. Vernon Kay - who hosts Radio 2's most listened-to show according to RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) figures - was joint fourth on the list alongside Kuenssberg. BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who is particularly popular with younger audiences, rose two places from last year and is this year's second highest earner. The third-highest paid was Northern Irish Radio 5 Live presenter Stephen Nolan. Top talent pay slashed by half in seven years, BBC says Responding to a question from Sky News on how the BBC can justify paying talent a premium when hundreds of millions of pounds of savings need to be made, deputy director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said there had been "remarkable progress" over presenter pay in recent years. He said talent above the £500,000 threshold had been reduced by 50% across the past seven years, going on: "If you look at all our on-air presenter costs over the last seven years, they've come down by about £20m, so we have been focused on it, there is always a balancing act. "We want to be a broadcaster that can attract the best talent, but we're also very mindful of the financial pressures that we're facing. I think we're striking that balance very, very carefully, and I think you'll see that downward trend continuing in the months to come." The BBC is required to declare a list of salaries paid to people both on air and off air who receive more than £178,000 from licence fee revenue in the year. However, the list does not include people who are paid through independent production companies or the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Studios. A string of 'errors' affecting public confidence BBC Chair Samir Shah addressed recent "broadcasting errors" at the corporation, including at Glastonbury Festival and the BAFTA film awards, saying they "affect confidence in our journalism, trust in the BBC as a public institution, and perceptions about how effectively we are held to account". In February, a racial slur was broadcast after Tourette's campaigner John Davidson shouted at Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo as they presented the BAFTA award for special visual effects. An involuntary verbal tic, the slur was not cut from the live broadcast, which was on a two-hour delay, and remained on iPlayer for over 12 hours. It came after a previous incident, which saw the BBC face criticism for continuing to livestream the performance of punk duo Bob Vylan as they led chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" at last year's Glastonbury Festival. There was also a breach of BBC editorial guidelines after the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone failed to disclose information about the child narrator's father's position within the Hamas-run government. The BBC is also currently embroiled in a multi-billion-pound lawsuit with US President Donald Trump over the editing of an episode of BBC documentary series Panorama, broadcast in 2024. Referencing the various errors, Mr Shah said: "I am confident that the changes we have now introduced will ensure that swift, appropriate and transparent action is taken to address editorial issues as effectively as possible, whenever they occur." Read more: Who is Matt Brittin? BBC boss: 'This is a moment of real jeopardy' The report also showed that BBC TV licences have dropped by more than half a million in a single year. While 94% of adults use BBC services per month, fewer than 80% of households pay the licence fee. Highlighting the challenges this presents to the corporation, it said the BBC would need to reform its funding model in order to sustain its public service mission going forward. Speaking to journalists as the report was released, the BBC's new director-general Matt Brittin said it was "a moment of real jeopardy" both for the BBC and the UK as a whole," going on to say it was also "an opportunity". The former Google executive, who stepped into the role in May, concluded: "Reinventing the BBC to adapt to this fast-changing world is our duty and our challenge". The BBC is facing huge cutbacks, with hundreds of jobs to be axed and many TV and radio programmes under review, as part of a major downsizing. The month after he stepped into the role, Mr Brittin told employees that £160m of staff and non-staff cost savings would be made from across BBC News and TV and radio teams by the end of the financial year. The huge savings plan was first announced in April, with up to 2,000 jobs to go in total - the corporation's biggest downsizing in almost 15 years.

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Faye Brown, political reporter
Jul 15
Labour MPs form new squad to ensure Burnham keeps key pledge

Senior MPs have formed a new Reindustrialisation Research Group (ReRG), which will advance policies and scrutinise proposals from the new prime minister on reversing the decline of manufacturing in the UK. The group has been styled on the Tories' European Research Group – a formerly powerful caucus of Eurosceptic MPs who had a significant impact on Conservative Party politics for decades and played a crucial role in Theresa May's downfall. MPs involved in the ReRG insist their aim is not to be a thorn in Mr Burnham's side but rather to hold him to his promises on creating jobs outside the big cities while having influence over policy. The prime minister-in-waiting has positioned reindustrialisation as a core pillar of his economic vision, along with devolution, saying in a speech last month that he wanted to "support every region to set clear and credible industrial ambitions". However, with less than a week to go before he officially takes over from Sir Keir Starmer, details on how he will achieve his aims remain vague. There have been four industrialisation strategies since 2017, and there is concern among Labour MPs that Mr Burnham could oversee another failed one without a definition of what that means in practice and an ambitious jobs target to go with it. The ReRG, convened by the MP for Rossendale and Darwen, Andy MacNae, defines reindustrialisation as making more things in more places and bringing good jobs close to home. Launching officially today, they are proposing a target of creating an additional one million jobs in production-based industries above their current level over the next decade, with a total number of people employed in these sectors standing at 4.56m by 2036. MPs' warning to Burnham Mr MacNae told Sky News: "We need to bring good jobs, opportunity and hope back into every community. Reversing deindustrialisation is central to this. This means rebalancing our economy towards greater production – whether in agriculture, critical minerals, industry or energy." He added: "This needs real ambition and policies that are intensely practical. "The Reindustrialisation Research Group is calling for a bold target of one million new jobs in production. This is the scale we need to deliver change in every neighbourhood. "We will work to develop and stress test the policies to achieve this, whilst challenging the economic orthodoxies that could hold us back." Around 30 MPs have been involved in the group's launch. Figures include Yuan Yang, who co-chairs the soft left Tribune group, and Jonathan Hinder, a leading member of the socially conservative Blue Labour group. The ReRG has also convened members of groups such as the Red Wall, Coastal Communities Group and Rural Research Group, including Chris Bloore, Andrew Ranger, Steve Yemm, Noah Law, Lorraine Beavers and Connor Naismith. It is hoped this can be used as a base to build support across all parts of the PLP while working alongside unions, economists and other experts. The ReRG is being supported by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON), which was set up by Sir Keir to explore issues facing England's most deprived neighbourhoods. ICON's research has found the most deprived neighbourhoods are concentrated in post-industrial towns and coastal communities where a loss of manufacturing jobs is driving high levels of unemployment. 'The Maker-things test' Reform UK are performing well in these areas. Mr Burnham has vowed to see off the threat by subjecting policies to the "Makerfield test" – i.e., if they can work to improve the lives of people living in places like his constituency of Makerfield. In their first research paper, the ReRG say Labour "will not pass the Makerfield test if we do not pass the 'Maker-things Test'". They call reindustrialisation a social and economic mission which can tackle the cost-of-living crisis by boosting wages through better-paid jobs and reducing inflation through an increase in production. The paper acknowledges a target of one million jobs is not without trade-offs – estimating that would require at least an additional £645bn of capital stock over the next decade into the production sectors of the economy. But in its mission statement, the ReRG argues governments have failed to reindustrialise for 40 years, so "policy and resources must match the scale of the challenge". They vow to "monitor and scrutinise the proposals from government to ensure that they meet the public's desire for change". Mr Burnham will officially become prime minister on Monday following Sir Keir's resignation. He needed 81 nominations to stand in a leadership contest but will take over unchallenged after 349 colleagues backed him, making it mathematically impossible for anyone else to run.

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No Writer
Jul 16
Thomas Tuchel: England head coach vows to remain until Euro 2028 despite World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina

England were denied a spot in the nation's first World Cup final since 1966 as Argentina came from behind to beat Tuchel's side in Atlanta. Anthony Gordon put England in dreamland before Argentina took control, with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez breaking English hearts late on. England player ratings: Spence shines but big guns fail to deliverAs it happened | Teams | Stats | Knockout bracketWorld Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World CupFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App Tuchel, who was appointed head coach in January 2025, penned an extension on his initial deal earlier this year through to Euro 2028. The tournament will be co-hosted by England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Asked a direct question as to whether he'd be staying on after the World Cup, Tuchel said: "We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros. "I'm looking forward to that even though right now it's difficult to look that far ahead." England will now remain in the US as they prepare for a third-place play-off match against France in Miami on Saturday. Tuchel added that even though it's a game they'd rather not be a part of, reaching their second semi-final in eight years was an achievement for England. "We have to wait for four years (to go again at another World Cup). In itself it's an achievement, of course it's a semi-final. A lot of big footballing nations are eliminated before the semi-final. It is an achievement, no one wants to hear that at the moment, me neither, because we demand the most of ourselves because we are so competitive. The nature of being so competitive puts the next game into perspective. "None of our players or none of the French players want to play in this match. They want to play in the final; we gave everything to be in the final. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but it is what it is. We have a day less than France to recover but we will do it professionally. "The thing for us is to bounce back and react. That's what you have to do at the highest level of sport and that we will do." Kane: Holding on was not enough against Argentina England captain Harry Kane admitted trying to hold on to a 1-0 lead backfired as their World Cup hopes were ended by Argentina's late show. "I'm gutted," Kane said. "Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough, so I'm gutted. "We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every last bit of running, sweat, blood, tears, whatever it is, so to fall short like today is just gutting." Kane claimed the message from Tuchel and his staff was to keep pushing after Gordon's goal, but it felt as though England increasingly retreated, inviting the pressure which Argentina turned to their advantage. "We struggled to get pressure on the ball (after the goal)," he said. "I thought especially in the first half and at the start of the second half we pressed them well, put them under loads of pressure, especially high up the pitch, which allowed us to win balls and control the game a little bit better. "After the goal, whether they were putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man-to-man, it was just wave after wave. The lads were putting blocks in but in the end it was not enough. "The boys were always ready for any moment in the game. When we went ahead, the messaging was to go again and get another goal. Once they scored their two goals, it was to try and find something, but we couldn't find any momentum to get back in the game." Kane added: "We've had a lot of good moments in this tournament. We've had a lot of good games, another semi-final. We talk about knocking on the door. We're close. We just need to find that missing piece. "These tournaments take it out of you. There's so much effort, pressure, mentality. We've shown a lot of that in the last six, seven weeks we've been together. We're just missing that final piece."

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No Writer
Jul 16
Parents face £1,100 bill for summer holiday childcare

Working parents already struggling with the cost of living are looking at an average bill of £191 per week for each child they have, equating to around £1,145 for the six-week school break. Costs have risen by 5% in the last year and have gone up by more than double that in some parts of Britain. A report by the Coram Family and Childcare charity said: "Parents and carers pay much more for childcare during the holidays than during term time. "A week at a holiday club costs over 2.7 times more than an after-school club – £191 per week compared to £70." Holiday club prices were also found to have risen by 16% in inner London and by 12% in the North East. In Wales, average prices are up by 10% annually to reach nearly £224 per week. The research is based on data provided by 199 local authorities and looked at the costs and availability of care for children aged four to 14. Childcare during the summer holidays is "essential" for parents who need to work, the charity said – and the costs are not the only challenge. Availability of childcare is also a concern. Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: "When we asked councils whether there is enough holiday childcare in their area, the most frequent response was that they do not know." For parents who seek to employ a childminder instead, average costs have climbed 7% to £251 per week. They are highest in Inner London, where they stand at £372.

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No Writer
Jul 13
'One of the greats': Jurassic Park star Sam Neill has died

The Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor was best known for his leading roles in the blockbuster dinosaur franchise and The Piano, and appeared in more than 50 films over his career. The family of the screen star, who was one of New Zealand's most successful Hollywood exports, said his death had been "sudden and unexpected" in a statement on Monday. Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in 2022. After his cancer diagnosis, Neill said he would take a short break from acting and had announced he was cancer-free earlier this year. His family said he died on Monday in Sydney, Australia, but did not specify the cause of death. "Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," they said. "The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free." Neill was regarded as a versatile actor, who had traversed blockbuster and arthouse films throughout his career. His range saw him dodge velociraptors in Jurassic Park, chop off actress Holly Hunter's finger in The Piano, and gouge out his eyes in the sci-fi film Event Horizon in his on-screen roles. 'One of the greats' Tributes flooded in for Neill from around the world, from Hollywood directors to prime ministers. Colin Trevorrow, who directed Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, remembered the actor as a "deeply soulful and beautiful man". "He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength," he said. He added: "It's not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend." New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Neill as "one of the greats". "He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of," he said. "For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today - one of our greatest cultural exports. "His work will be watched and loved long after all of us." In a post on X, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts. "Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance. He will be much mourned and long remembered." Australian actor David Wenham said: "Aside from being an international all-round legend. Sam was the kindest, cheekiest, most generous and supportive friend going around." Author Kathy Lette remembered Neill as a "wonderful actor but also the most charming, kind, intelligent and deliciously self-deprecating friend". Australian comedian Magda Szubanski said: "An exceptional man - talented, kind, classy, wryly hilarious and loving. Proud cancer survivor. My heart goes out to all Sam's family and friends." From Omagh to Hollywood Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Omagh, but moved to New Zealand aged seven when his father retired from the army. At the age of 11, he changed his name to Sam. In his 2023 memoir, he said "to land in a primary school with a plum in the voice and Nigel for a name was asking for trouble". He described himself as a nerdy, unsporty and stuttering boy, but took his first steps into acting through school plays. His big break came with the low-budget 1977 New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs, which led to bigger roles in neighbouring Australia. Neill was one of a host of actors and directors who achieved international fame after an explosion of Australian films that began in the late 1970s. These included Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong. He first came to the attention of international audiences in Armstrong's 1979 film My Brilliant Career. Neill later appeared in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, also starring a then-relatively unknown Nicole Kidman. He twice co-starred with Meryl Streep in Australian director Fred Schepisi films Plenty and A Cry in the Dark, based on the true story of a dingo killing a baby in the Australian Outback. He missed out on a chance at mega-stardom in the mid-1980s when he did a screen test for the role of James Bond but did not land the role. He would later achieve blockbuster fame in Steven Spielberg's 1993 hit Jurassic Park, as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant. Younger audiences will remember Neill for his portrayal of ruthless chief inspector Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders. Read more from Sky News:'Nothing to suggest' Ann Widdecombe murder politicalAntiques Roadshow star Theo Burrell dies aged 39 In 2022, Neill accepted ​a knighthood for outstanding contribution to film. Neill, who was married twice, divided his later years between Australia and his vineyard in New Zealand's Central Otago, which produced Pinot Noir under the label Two Paddocks. He is survived by his two sons and two daughters.

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No Writer
Jul 15
Revealed: Steel rescue deal costs surpass £600m | Mark Kleinman blog

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No Writer
Jul 16
England out of World Cup: Harry Kane says holding on was not enough against Argentina

Anthony Gordon fired England into a 55th-minute lead but Argentina wrestled the momentum in the game, and this time Thomas Tuchel's substitutions did not work as Lionel Messi laid on late goals for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to turn it around. 85, 90+2! Argentina's late show breaks England hearts to end World Cup dreamEngland player ratings: Spence shines but Bellingham, Rice and Kane fail to deliverWorld Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World CupFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App "I'm gutted," Kane said. "I'm gutted for the boys, I'm gutted for everyone, the team, the staff, the fans. We played a good game for the large majority of it. "Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough, so I'm gutted. "We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every last bit of running, sweat, blood, tears, whatever it is, so to fall short like today is just gutting." Kane claimed the message from Tuchel and his staff was to keep pushing after Gordon's goal, but it felt as though England increasingly retreated, inviting the pressure which Argentina turned to their advantage. "We struggled to get pressure on the ball (after the goal)," he said. "I thought especially in the first half and at the start of the second half we pressed them well, put them under loads of pressure, especially high up the pitch which allowed us to win balls and control the game a little bit better. "After the goal, whether they were putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man-to-man, it was just wave after wave. The lads were putting blocks in but in the end it was not enough. "The boys were always ready for any moment in the game. When we went ahead the messaging was to go again and get another goal. Once they scored their two goals it was to try and find something but we couldn't find any momentum to get back in the game." Kane added: "We've had a lot of good moments in this tournament. We've had a lot of good games, another semi-final. We talk about knocking on the door. We're close. We just need to find that missing piece. "These tournaments take it out of you. There's so much effort, pressure, mentality. We've shown a lot of that in the last six, seven weeks we've been together. We're just missing that final piece." Tuchel: England were too passive after going in front Tuchel described his England side as "too passive" after going ahead against Argentina but insisted he had "no regrets" over his tactical decisions in the defeat. "We're disappointed but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances and could not turn the ball possession around," Tuchel said. "We just conceded so many crosses and chances and shots. We were close but we couldn't keep the level up after we scored." Asked about his substitutions, Tuchel insisted the issue was not structural. "Of course we wanted to go for the second goal but I did not have the feeling that offensive substitutions would help," he said. "We stayed in our 4-4-2 but we became passive, more and more passive. "We couldn't win any balls, we couldn't keep the ball, so I think it was not a structural problem, we changed nothing. But the match changed completely. "It's no problem, I can understand these discussions are out there and there are millions of coaches after the game who know it better." But even as criticism quickly followed from pundits and fans, Tuchel insisted he had no regrets. "The team gave everything," he said. "We were very, very close. I think we deserved to be 1-0 up. We played one of our better matches, maybe the best match in the circumstances. It was tough. We couldn't bring it over the line. No regrets." 'A coaching catastrophe' - Pundits and reporters deliver verdicts as England crashed out of the World Cup... Sky Sports' Gary Neville: "England will never have a better chance to reach a final than that. They were five minutes plus stoppage time away from the final. They got too narrow and too deep. It was very similar to the Euros final against Italy. It's about mentality and belief for England, and a bit of quality to keep the ball. I can't believe how many times I have seen this from England in a tournament." Sky Sports' Roy Keane: "Argentina made the most of the momentum. They showed a lot of quality in the end. The best team won." Sky Sports' Paul Merson: "Gareth Southgate took a lot of stick for being defensive - and I thought he did well - and Tuchel has come in and done the same as Gareth. I understand it in the Mexico game when we are down to 10 men and we are going to be under the cosh, but here we had to throw something different at them. I understand Gareth being a defensive coach, he was a defender, so naturally he is going to be defensive. But I didn't think that about Tuchel and I thought he would throw something different at Argentina and put the pressure on them. We've got to learn from it and look forward to the Euros." Sky Sports News' Rob Dorsett in Atlanta: "It feels overridingly that Tuchel got that wrong. The man who the FA employed because of his brilliant tactical nous in knockout games, has to hold his hands up. England scored and had the upper hand, and Tuchel immediately shifted to try to hold what they had. Sitting deep for more than half an hour with stoppage time to go shifted all the momentum to Argentina. England can have no complaints. The better side won, but there's an awful feeling that this was to a large degree self-inflicted." Sky Sports' Ron Walker: "Did England need to go so deep so early? It's easy to say in hindsight, but the outcome of Tuchel's decision to switch to a back five with 71 minutes gone was as painful to watch as it must have been to play in. They didn't just surrender territory, they gave up almost 93 per cent of the ball in the 21 minutes between switching to a back five and conceding the winner. Ultimately, the Three Lions didn't manage a single touch in the opposition box after scoring - but when England fell back on their natural inclination to sit back, Tuchel's changes only compounded their problems." Sky Sports' Pete Gill: "Unfathomable from England. They asked for defeat from a winning position. We can argue it worked in the last two matches. But the big point is that it was clear it wasn't working against this quality of opposition long before Argentina scored their equaliser and England lost all of their momentum." Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol: "Exactly what happened in Russia in 2018 has happened again. Ultimately, Tuchel got his substitutions wrong. He put on too many defensive players and England retreated into their shell and were trying to hold onto what they had - and you can't do that against a side as good as Argentina, with arguably the best player the world has ever seen." Former England striker Chris Sutton: "It was a coaching catastrophe from Thomas Tuchel. The fact that England get themselves in front and then basically hand Argentina the initiative, defending deep, another defender on. "It's quite a simple game football, you have to get up the pitch. You can't expect to defend for 30 minutes against the quality Argentina have and keep giving the ball back to them, that's what England did and it's all on the coach as far as I'm concerned." Former England captain Alan Shearer: "England had six defenders on the pitch, (he) played his hand and wanted to hang on. Hanging on vs Norway and Mexico.. they perhaps don't have the quality Argentina have in terms of ability on ball and to punish, plus their attitude. He played his cards very early in the hope he could hang on and it backfired. Those decisions are the ones which can make such as difference." Former England striker Wayne Rooney: "We have to be honest. The decisions Thomas Tuchel made have cost England. If you're an attacking player on that pitch and you go 1-0 up and you see the changes which the manager's making, you're losing belief, there's only so many times you can get away with it. Then you start thinking, oh no we're going to sit back for this long, how are we going to get through this?" Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart: "I don't see anything's changed in that big moment out there. Thomas Tuchel, for as much praise as we've given him, for him to change it as soon as he did, I think he realised that's him saying he didn't believe in his team, he didn't think they could land any more punches on Argentina." Former England striker Michael Owen compared England's performance to that of finalists Spain, who claimed a 2-0 victory over France in their final-four clash on Tuesday. In a post on his official X account, Michael Owen said: "Watch Spain at 1-0 last night. That's courage. That's bravery. And then watch England at 1-0. What's the difference? We are a better team than Argentina, I've no doubt in my mind. But we deserved to get beat in the end. In fact, it could have been 4-1. Bringing on three defenders at 1-0 up. What message does that send? Until we understand that courage and bravery is controlling possession under pressure and not booting / heading it up the field 40 yards then this will always be the end result."

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