Senior England players ‘not happy’ with Tuchel after ‘private complaints’ | Football | Sport
Thomas Tuchel’s tactics backfired against Argentina (Image: Ryan Pierse – FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images)
Senior England players are thought to have complained about Thomas Tuchel in private after England’s World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina. The Three Lions were knocked out of the tournament on Wednesday evening in a 2-1 loss in Atlanta, Georgia.
England football team looked happy to defend a one-goal cushion following Anthony Gordon’s 55th minute strike, sitting in a low block and inviting pressure from a relentless Argentina attack. That was ultimately never going to end well, considering the calibre of players that the South American nation have, with England ultimately left rueing their decision. The introduction of Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn and Ezri Konsa further solidified the defensive approach, with Tuchel having six defenders on the pitch at one point.
However, that backfired when Tuchel had limited options in attack when Enzo Fernandez drew level with just five minutes remaining. It was not until Lautaro Martinez headed home a towering effort in stoppage time that Tuchel opted to throw on Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney in a desperate bid to restore parity.
By that point, however, it was a case of too little, too late, as England fell to a 2-1 loss. In the wake of the result, numerous supporters swiftly called for Tuchel’s dismissal, citing his defensive tactics after taking the lead.
But the 52-year-old was equally swift to reaffirm his commitment to honouring his contract, which extends through Euro 2028. Tuchel is also reported to have dismissed suggestions that he instructed his side to sit deep defensively in private, claiming he told his starting XI to ‘play higher up.’
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England suffered a 2-1 loss to Argentina (Image: AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
However, a number senior of England players are now said to have confronted Tuchel regarding his tactical choices. Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett said: “A lot of England’s players, and some of the senior players, I might say, are not happy with the decisions that Thomas Tuchel took.”
The BBC, meanwhile, reports that at least three players ‘complained privately’ about their approach during the dying minutes of the match. It comes as Tuchel pointed to an inability to retain possession as one of England’s most significant shortcomings in the semi-final fixture.
He said afterwards: “I think ball possession plays a crucial role. It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish, Argentinian or Brazilian DNA. To take the ball and control the game and the ball, which is also a big problem.
“But like in every structure, it was important to stay active and push out and fight duels…we just couldn’t. I think in this moment my feeling is that no structure in the world could have helped us because we were too passive. We were not physical enough.
“We didn’t stop runs arriving in our box and the deliveries were then too good. Right after our goal, the momentum swings completely in ball possession and chances and it drops dramatically.
“We got too passive within our structure. I tried to help, not to become more passive with a back five, but to be more active, to be quicker out to the wingers, not to open up the gaps between the back four.
“We encouraged everyone to step out, to be more active within the structure, but we just struggled. We needed to get back on the ball otherwise you cannot break the pressure and you cannot get the momentum back.”
Following the defeat, England will now face France in a third-place play-off on Saturday evening. Argentina, meanwhile, go up against Spain in Sunday’s final, as they bid to retain the trophy they lifted four years ago.
