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Arsenal icon criticises ITV interviewer for Thomas Tuchel question after England vs Norway

Thierry Henry has launched a passionate defence of England and Thomas Tuchel following their World Cup quarter-final win against Norway.

Jude Bellingham was the hero again as his brace saw the Three Lions emerge from a third successive narrow knockout tie. Having beaten DR Congo and Mexico by single-goal margins, it was another tough evening for Tuchel's side.

There was a hint of controversy, as pointed out by Erling Haaland's father, when the ball allegedly struck a camera cable in the build-up to Bellingham's first goal. FIFA, however, have dispelled that claim.

Thomas Tuchel's Fiery England Interview

Thomas TuchelREUTERS/Paul Childs

After securing progression to the semi-final with an extra-time victory, Tuchel showed his mentality by claiming the performance from his team was not good enough.

He told ITV Sport: "We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic, we're in the last four. It's amazing. I'm not happy with the performance.

"In every sense. The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played. Sloppy, tactical mistakes, not fast enough. Not repetitive enough. We were lucky enough."

Erling Haaland and Harry Kane after Norway 1-2 England Related

World Cup: Erling Haaland's Comments About England Go Viral After Norway's 2-1 Defeat

Haaland's comments about the Three Lions after Norway's defeat in the last 16 say a lot about him.

The German coach was then visibly irked when ITV interviewer Gabriel Clarke asked about the mentality of his team. "It's not the mentality. This is pure mentality! How can you ask about mentality?" Tuchel hit back.

He continued: “It's not about mentality. There’s no mentality problem! You can bottle it up and sell it. It's about the quality of our games - it has nothing to do with mentality."

Thierry Henry Unhappy With England Interviewer's Question

Thierry HenryRula Rouhana via Reuters

Henry, who has been a regular part of Fox Sports' World Cup coverage alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, wasn't too pleased with the line of questioning.

"I didn't understand the questions," a clearly annoyed Henry said. "The guy (Tuchel) is telling you that actually it was all effort and mentality, and you're asking about the mentality."

The Frenchman went on to praise Tuchel's high standards while claiming he wasn't happy with Noni Madueke, who Ibrahimovic slammed at half-time.

Henry continued: "He was talking about the technical aspect of the game. He wasn't happy with how the players were playing. I think he wasn't happy with Madueke, not happy with the speed. That's why he changed stuff straight away.

"You don't even need to ask that question. If he's making changes, it's because he's not happy with what's out on the pitch. And what we cannot doubt with this team is the mentality that they have and the grit."

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