Pardew: Tuchel shouldn't have started Rice when he was physically unwell; it was a personnel mistake.

According to talkSPORT, after England's 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway to advance to the World Cup semi-finals, Alan Pardew questioned the use of Declan Rice on a program. He believed that Thomas Tuchel should not have started Rice when he was unwell, stating bluntly that it was a personnel mistake. He also cautioned that Rice should not have started again in the semi-final against Argentina if he was not fully recovered.

England will face Argentina for a place in the final. Ahead of the match, Pardew spoke about Rice's situation and shared his thoughts on The Final Word.

Pardew stated, "When I was a young head coach, if a player was sick, and he was a good player and a regular starter, I would usually still play him because I felt he was good enough. But what I mean is, in the highest level of sports, if a player is sick or physically unwell, he will never perform well, never."

So, as I got older and realized this, I stopped playing players if they weren't physically fit. They couldn't perform at their best, and they didn't have the mental state to keep themselves entertained and play well.

Their morale will be low, and their performance will suffer as a result. Declan looked really down yesterday, didn't he? You could tell just by looking at him. He didn't show the energy we're used to, and he wasn't like the usual Declan Rice. So, Tuchel made a mistake in that decision.”