Anthony Barry says ‘not to panic’ as England face World Cup exit against DR Congo
Anthony Barry, Assistant Manager of England, reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between England and Congo DR (Getty)
England assistant manager Anthony Barry has insisted it is “absolutely not a time to panic” after the Three Lions went 1-0 down against DR Congo.
He told Kelly Sommers on BBC Sport during half time: “We still have 45 minutes to play. Obviously to concede an early goal to a team that plays in this style of football, it’s never a good thing, it can normally carry you into a state of shock, but actually, I think it’s something that’s released our guys. It took the handbrake off from there.
“We played a high-level game, we’ve created many, many, many chances, maybe the goalkeeper, the man at the match so far and, of course, for us now, it’s absolutely not a time to panic.
“We have 45 minutes left to play. We’ve had a lot of chances in the first half, and it’s just about continuing to play in our way, in our rhythm, not a time to play gun-ho football, just to continue to attack, keep the back door shut, and we’ll come back into the game.”
