Argentina ends Tuchel's World Cup bid as old England flaws return
England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina has exposed the same defensive mentality Thomas Tuchel was hired to eradicate, putting his tenure in jeopardy.
England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, extending a painful cycle of late tournament collapses. After Anthony Gordon gave England the lead, the team retreated and conceded twice. The defeat strikingly mirrored previous semi-final exits under former manager Gareth Southgate.
Tuchel was appointed specifically to cure this psychological flaw. Before the tournament, he noted that during Euro 2024, he felt "tension and pressure on the shoulders of the players" and sensed they were "playing not to lose." His inability to fix this issue now threatens his authority.
The immediate controversy centres on his second-half substitutions. Replacing the goalscorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa with 30 minutes remaining, followed by two more defensive changes, appeared to surrender initiative. However, Tuchel argued the passivity predated his tactical shifts. "It started straight away after the goal. It is basically the reason why we lost," he said. "The mindset shifted. We sat deep straight away after our goal, not after the substitutions."
The players' own accounts complicate Tuchel's defence. Captain Harry Kane admitted that "once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough." Marc Guehi agreed, stating "it kind of felt like we scored and then the mentality was go back, defend." Dan Burn noted the team became "a little bit passive after the goal" and sat too deep.
Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez offered a physical explanation: "England got tired. They pressed for 60 minutes. After that, they had nothing left, then they dropped back." Yet for observers like Gary Neville, the pattern is institutional. "It was very similar to the Euros final against Italy," Neville said. "It is about mentality and belief for England, and a bit of quality to keep the ball. I cannot believe how many times I have seen this."
Elite management often hinges on credibility, and Tuchel has lost his at a crucial moment. Southgate ultimately resigned when public criticism mounted. Tuchel's fate now rests on whether his squad blames his substitutions or accepts his diagnosis of their mentality. With Euro 2028 on home soil approaching, there is little time to rebuild that trust.
