Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone had his say on Gareth Southgate's England side before their second group stage clash of the Qatar World Cup - a dismal 0-0 draw against the USA.
The Three Lions enjoyed one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far when they ran out 6-2 winners against Iran in Group B, but their meeting with the USA proved a far sterner test on Friday night. Hopes remain high for England regardless, especially as they boast one of the younger sides in the competition.
That same young talent was a large reason behind the opening game victory on Monday, with Bukayo Saka netting a brace following teenager Jude Bellingham's first goal in an England shirt to open the scoring. Marcus Rashford netted the fifth and while he has plenty of experience, the Manchester United striker is still only 25 years of age.
Southgate has at times faced criticism for his more defensive, conservative approach to games and while there was no backlash after game one there were certainly questions after match-day two.
Simeone is arguably the manager best known for a defensive philosophy and he is clearly a fan of the way England are going about their business if his recent comments are anything to go by.
Speaking to reporters out in Qatar before England's draw with the USA, the Argentine gave his thoughts on what is the most key ingredient for a successful side on the international stage and name-dropped some of the favourites for the tournament.
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"Talent is always necessary, that's why France wins, Brazil wins... that's why England is now representing its philosophy through talent, forcefulness, but it's clear that all the teams are very well worked and it is increasingly difficult to win in football," Simeone explained.
"This World Cup is unmasking a lot of people and is making them understand that talent is necessary but that you also have to run a lot," he added.
"It seems that some teams want to go back to the 50s with that characteristic 4-2-4, but not everyone has a [Lionel] Messi."
England are now legitmately regarded as one of the best sides in the competition and shock defeats for other highly-rated sides has only seen the Three Lions stock rise even further.
Argentina and Germany are two sides already reeling from surprises losses to Saudi Arabia and Japan respectively, while the likes of Portugal and Brazil weren't exactly at their fluid best when they got their victories.
The Three Lions failed to seal their place in the knockout stages with a win over the USA on Friday night, but can make amends against the Welsh on Tuesday.
