Mark Critchley

speaker

1,840 appearances 10 recordings 1 series first heard Jun 2026 last heard 8 Jul

Mark Critchley’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 10 in all, peaking in Jun 2026 with 7.

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The Athletic FC Podcast · Argentina are inevitable + Ornstein on Man United transfers · 8 Jul 2026 podcast

I guess you'd say they were weaker on a talent level than Mexico.

But not to drone on about what we spent all last week discussing, but the challenge itself of going to the Azteca in that atmosphere, at that time of kickoff, under the lights, in the altitude itself,

With the delayed kickoff and just the circumstances of the game itself as well, obviously going down to 10 men.

I just think there's not a tougher test that a team will have gone through possibly in this tournament than England managed to get through the other night.

And I think...

from that you know I was reading Jack Pickbrook's brilliant piece from the game his match piece he was pointing out you know even the air that they were breathing was against them was a disadvantage to them you know the odds were stacked in that respect not on a talent for talent ability match level but in that respect odds so stacked against them I think you have to be most impressed by England's

and the fact that they did the job.

So I would say, I said it last week, if they got through the round of 16 game, I would be fairly confident about them moving forward and getting to a final at least.

I think that would have been slightly easier if they were facing Brazil.

I think that they're a better side than Brazil.

And that's easy to say now that Brazil are out, but I think they would have beaten Brazil easily.

I think Norway are a much tougher test.

And if I was going to pick a second team who impressed me the most,

in the round of 16, it would be Norway for the way that they control possession, for the way that they just seem to just have Brazil at arm's length during that game.

And so I think this is probably the toughest quarterfinal matchup they could have had as well.

But in terms of my bars and where I sort of rank that performance, I think it's got to be England the most improved from one game to the other in the basis of just that one round.

Look.

I need this, okay?

I need this for my own credibility, no.

No, but in all seriousness, I think Morocco will be France's toughest test so far.

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