"Haaland was SHOCKING" | Jamie O'Hara reacts to England vs Norway

OK, so there we go.Look, a praising of the mentality, but what do you read into a lot of that?I want to ask you about the performance, though.Not all that happy, is that fair?

Oh, absolutely.I mean, it wasn't a good performance from England.Everything he said, I think he's absolutely right.It was mentality, grit, determination, passion.That will to win, to get it over the line for your country, and the players showed that in abundance.You cannot take anything away from them in terms of that.

But the performance was poor.It was a shocking performance.We were all over the place.Norway had our number, really.Tactically, they were the best.You know, really, really astute.

We struggled to break them down.We didn't move the ball quick enough.We were so slow in possession.We were shaky at the back.We were shaky from set pieces.It really wasn't a great performance, especially after the Mexico game where everyone was like, wow, we've got, here we go, England are back.

But it wasn't the case.So fair play to Pellingham.What a hero steps up.But yeah, the performance was poor.

How much of a factor do you think maybe the Mexico game was, the emotional aspect of that, to then come back and try and get to that same level, but also that the heat and humidity, it's argued it was between 41 and 43 degrees for the players out there.

Yeah, I think you have to take that into account, and that's why I thought the first 15 minutes when we were really slow, I thought, OK, they're slow as well, Norway, they're dealing with the same conditions, so you can kind of understand it to a certain degree, and I thought, we'll let it go.But we never got going.We didn't get going, but we went 1 -0 down and then we scored a goal out of nothing.Bellingham, you know, masterclass, well done.But I think you have to take into account, yes, it was hot and the altitude from the last game, recovery, we looked knackered.We looked knackered.

Harry Kane looked down on his feet, he really did.We managed to find a way, but it wasn't a good way.

Does it matter that they're not playing at their peak?

Not if you win.Eventually, you're going to come up against Argentina, right?Semi -final, you can't play like that.We cannot play like that against Argentina.What I would say, Norway played exactly how Ghana played against us, how Panama played against us.They knew that they couldn't probably take us on.

You know, like Mexico tried to, because we'll open you up and we'll score goals and we'll make things happen.They were quite happy, almost brazen, in a way, to just sit in and be like, right, we're going to sit in, you know, 4 -5 -1 when we ain't got the ball.And we really struggled to do, like, we struggle against teams like that.We are so bad at breaking down sides.Argentina are not going to play like that.So, it might actually be better for us.

So, we'll see.We made it through.Of course, you want the players to perform better, but I'll tell you what, some mentality they've got.

Right okay well once again it was Jude Bellingham that stepped up in England's hour of need scoring his fifth and sixth goals of the tournament to take them into the last four and he was asked about Tuchel's criticism of the performance.

Thomas has just been quite critical of the performance after the game.Does that show the standards that he expects, the standards you guys expect of each other, and maybe that there's more to come from the team?

Maybe, but maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, Odegaard, Neusach, Solov.You know, that's not an easy team to play against.So, you know, I think we've tried to create a positive environment.We should continue that going into the final four.I can't speak highly enough for the lads.You're not going to win every game popping the ball and making £1 ,000.

passes sometimes you have to win dirty and we've done that again tonight.

Thomas, Tuchel said after the gaming interviews that you were a tad lucky also to beat Norway today.What do you think about the statement from the boss?

No comment.

Well, Bellingham went into the game having received a yellow in their win over Mexico and another would have seen him miss the semi -final.Well, he told us who gave him his key advice before the game on avoiding that happening.

Yeah, my mom's telling me all week to watch my language, watch my tackles, watch my face, watch my emotions.So, yeah, I think she, she, she drilled it into me more week about being careful of that yellow card and to be honest when when you play the right way and Credit to the referee was classy still let you communicate in a respectful way a lot of referees don't let you do that So I think when I get the balance right and there's a referee who's willing to listen it makes it a lot easier and in the end It was just a really well competed game of football and yeah, luckily I got through it Better than that, and thankfully, yeah, very much listened to his mum and his performance.

Well, that has put him in an elite group.Look at this.He scored seven World Cup goals, moving level with Pele in the list for most goals by players aged 23 or under, only Kylian Mbappe scored more.England captain Harry Kane was full of praise for Bellingham.He was the star of the show again last night.

Yeah, incredible again.Judah stepped up on multiple occasions so far in this World Cup and he's done again today when we needed him the most.He was there and two great goals so credit to him.He's obviously a big player in this team and he's been showing that consistently now throughout the tournament.

I think he gets a bit too much of a critic because He doesn't score enough goals or whatever it is, and I think he doesn't really deserve it, because I think he's one of the best in the world.And he's a midfielder, he still scores goals, he still manages to dribble every single player on the field.So it's just praise for Jude.I think he's unbelievable.And England is lucky.Madrid is lucky because everybody would want a Jude in the team.

Well, Bellingham has six goals at this World Cup.Now level with Kane.Look at the other contenders.Messi, Mbappé at the top of the list, while Haaland's tournament ends with seven goals.So of course we told you, Bellingham, but before we do, we've got a little clip for you.

Bellingham, probably, you look at it and say, should be starting, hands down.But I'm looking at it now and saying, I don't know if Bellingham or Foden starts.Morgan Rodgers has performed brilliantly for England since Thomas Tuchel took over.He loves him.He really likes him.Bellingham has come back from injury.

He's back in the squad.He's been playing well.I thought he'd done all right against Liverpool.He scored a couple of goals for Real Madrid.You know, he's back in form.But he's got to now, this is the first time I think Jude Bellingham is probably looking at thinking, I've got to stake my claim to start in this England team, to even get on the plane.

I don't think you're alone in that opinion actually, I will say that.

There was loads of talk about Bellingham right, and people saying that he shouldn't go.He's always on the plane for me because you need people like him in your side.But there was a lot of talk before the tournament about Morgan Rodgers starting, even up until the last few days.You know, Morgan Rodgers, does he start over Bellingham?Does Bellingham feature?And, you know, I think credit to Jude Bellingham because he had to step up.

He had to step up and he has.And he's shown everyone why he's a cut above the rest.You know, because Morgan Rodgers had a really good season.There was talk about potentially him starting.But, you know, fair play to Jude Bellingham.But I think maybe because he's in La Liga and he got injured and Real Madrid had a bit of a tough season, everyone was, you know, having a discussion about it.

I think he got a littleout of one squad, didn't he?Tuchel left him out.So it was fair play to him, by the way, because he has been the talisman for us.Yes, Kane is the guy who gets goals and stuff, but Jude Bellingham, without him, we'd be out of the tournament.

When you look at what they've done over the course of the last few days, the fact that Bellingham has scored four goals now in the space of a week, he's the first player since Diego Maradona in 1986 to score twice.in consecutive matches in knockout stages at the World Cup.Is he now arguably the player of the tournament?If England go on and win this, is he the golden ball man?

I mean, listen, he's our most important player.I think he's the most important player in our team.He's shown that.He's stepped up.There were question marks over his performances before the tournament.He's come in and he's shown everyone why he is the man.

Harry Kane is the legend and he will get on the end of things and he'll score goals and he comes up in big moments.Jude Bellingham controls England.He controls the midfield, he gets around the park, he sets the tempo, he dictates the game.Everything about Jude Bellingham, if he's not at it, England ain't at it.He was shown last night how amazing he is to step up in a tough game, in a poor performance, he still comes big.That is, for me, what a player.

If we win a tournament, he'll definitely get Player of the Tournament.

You can dream.And while it's Spellingham's brilliance that will steal the headlines, the game wasn't without controversy, was it?Norway feel pretty hard done by over a couple of decisions.We'll look at Erling Haaland's push, which led to a crucial disallowed goal in a moment.It's England's equaliser that's got everyone's attention, though.FIFA insist there is no evidence that the ball hit a cable above the pitch in the build -up to that goal, despite

clips emerging on social media claiming it does.Well, our reporter Gary Cottrell can explain more.He's in Miami.

The big controversy, of course, of the match, Stoller Solbakken speaking about it in his post -match news conference.That ball, he says, hitting the cable of the Sky camera Obviously, the ball landing at the feet of Elliot Anderson and then Jude Benningham scoring the first goal.He insists that it did hit the cable.FIFA, of course, are saying that it didn't, that the chip in the ball didn't register that there had been any interference.FIFA rules, the rules of the game say that if there is any outside interference in the trajectory of the ball, there needs to be a drop ball and the game restarted.Obviously, the referee played on, England scored.

And I asked the head coach of Norway, as he was very disappointed at the end of the game, whether or not the cable deserved an assist for the Bellingham goal.

It probably will.That was unlucky for us.The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction, so it became a misunderstanding among our players and it was a bad moment for us.But we can't do anything about that.I don't think we will play the game again, so that's how it is.

So a bit of a shrug of the shoulders there, not much he can do.Later on, he said that he wasn't going to cry about it.And he was pressed even further about did he see the ball deflect?Did he see an unnatural movement in the ball?He said, no, he didn't.But everyone around him did.

Many on the bench reacted immediately.I was not one of them, but many of them saw it.

What do you make of FIFA's communique saying that the chip thatable to detect a touch by a hair is not able to detect...?

I can't say anything about that, because FIFA, if there's been no sound or there has been no... in the chip, What can I say against that?But the ball drops down straight from heaven.Everyone, including Orian, who is the goalie, including the guy who is going to receive the ball.I saw another way just then, so I wonder also what happened.I think it's pretty clear that it did it.It was a strange thing.

He said it was a bizarre incident, which of course they have to accept.He said bizarre incidents happen in football.That's why we love football, he said.And by the way, that disallowed Norway goal, Erling Haaland said in his post -match interview that if that was a foul that he committed in the area, then every time he goes into the box, he's going to have a foul committed on him.He said it was very, very soft indeed.

Well, look, Erling Haaland felt it was soft and it allowed Norway's goal for his push on Elliot Anderton and claimed he is pushed in every game.

Normally, the best team, which is, of course, England in terms of the players and this.Normally, you get these decisions with you, like when I'm in Man City, normally it goes my way.

Oh, look at this.On X, it was Haaland's father, Alfie, who was in the Miami Stadium watching on.His thoughts, yeah, pretty clear.Well done, Bellingham and referee.There we go.

I don't agree with that by the way.I think that's poor.He knows what he's doing there.You know, let's not take anything away from the fact that England gotthrough the game.We managed to find a way.

Both teams went at it.Both teams were trying to make something happen.Erling Haaland was shocking.He had one of the worst games I've seen him play.I don't know if he was injured.He ended up having to take him off.

That shows how bad he was.The last 10 minutes of the game, he took him off when they needed a goal.That shows how bad Haaland was.It was one of the worst games I've ever seen him play.It was incredible.He's walking around, and I know we were talking about it before with the Brazil game, where he's walking, walking, and then he comes alive.

He's done nothing.He's done absolutely nothing in the game.Didn't help his team whatsoever.Odegaard was trying to get on the ball, make things happen.Haaland was shocking.He really was.

It was a terrible performance, and I was more than happy to see him be completely out of the game.But England got through, not because of the referee, because we dug in and we found a way.

Was the refereeing a factor because at the same time you had Jed Spence went down for a penalty, didn't feel like a clear and obvious error so England could argue that they could have got another goal as well?

Yeah I mean, Norway can moan about their situation but Jed Spence, I think it's a penalty.He goes on a great little run, gets himself into the box and he puts his body across him, the referee points to the spot.VAR, that is not what VAR...For me, VAR is to get involved in clear and obvious, where the referee you go, has made a huge mistake, so I've got to get involved in telling you've got that one wrong.

That's not a huge mistake, it's a foul.

If you're anywhere else on the pitch, I think it's a foul.So the fact that he overrules it and goes to...I couldn't believe it.Could not believe it.He gets his body across, puts his leg across, and he catches him.I just, yeah, I was amazed that that got overturned.

VAR has been shocking in this World Cup.It's been an absolute mockery.They've been miles off it.They have.Some of the decisions, and we can talk about the referees, but VAR has been really bad.It really has.

And it just shows.where we're at with it at the moment.And if it continues, something's got to be done.We're on a world stage.This is the World Cup.and some of the decisions are shocking.

Is that a concern?

The fans have probably lost faith in it.Now you see a foul, you see a penalty awarded and now as fans we're not actually sure what's going to happen.We know what we think is a clear and obvious area but VAR is a different way of viewing things.

VAR, when it first came in and we all broke it on Sky Sports, Clear and obvious.That was what VAR was for.Clear and obvious errors.There's been nothing of that.It's still grey area.It's still up for debate.

That's not what we brought it in for.If it's up for debate, what's the referee's decision?If the referee's given a penalty or he's given a foul, that's the decision.Stick with on field.That's what we were told.That's not what's happening.

Every single decision now is, ooh, VAR might intervene here, VAR might get involved.Elliot Anderson last night, he's soft, he's soft.Great, it goes for us.Spence won, penalty, it's a pen.The referee gives it.I just, I can't believe where the game's gone.

And I think people are getting tired of it, especially now in the World Cup, where it's on the world stage.You know, people look at the Premier League and go, oh, you know, the Premier League, people want to dig it out.That's on the world stage and VAR has been shocking.

I want to ask you about that and pick up on that.You mentioned again Harlan's push on Anderson before the ball was in play.Obviously that was penalised because it was newly introduced.to the World Cup, you kind of think, oh, if it works at the World Cup, that will be carried on then thereafter, almost trialing it.Is that fair?

No.I mean, I guess it's not fair.I think we've seen certain things in the World Cup where it's been baffling me.It does push him.it does push him.But I think the argument obviously the ball wasn't in play when he pushes in, but he has a direct impact in the goal for me.

Haaland goes into the body where the ball lands, he's in and around it and it does cause a problem.So it's soft.I mean it happens every week.Every single game in a Premier League, people are pushing and shoving.If you looked at every corner, every single minute at the game, there's probably a foul.It's just lucky if it goes through.

Ellis and Anderson makes a deal, you know, makes a deal of it and we get away with it.But, you know, we were all over the place at Step Pieces.Really were.

Right.It sure was an emotional rollercoaster.But here is how some of you experienced it together up and down the country.These are scenes from Manchester.Went absolutely wild.Bellingham's first goal.

Brighton also went mad.Could Bellingham be the man to end?60 years of hurt.Birmingham, ooh, confetti raining down as Bellingham gave England the lead.And these were the scenes in the capital.As the final whistle went, England securing a semi -final clash against Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday were a spot in the World Cup final and a shot at history with a prize.

So happy.Honestly, great game.So happy.

And I feel happy.

We were awful but so lucky it was coming home Jude could be the sameman on planet Earth.Didn't want to get carried away.We're getting carried away, aren't we?It's coming, oh!It's coming, oh!

It's coming!Football's coming!