Tuchel's tactical retreat ends England's World Cup run

England lost to Argentina in Thursday's World Cup semi-final after conceding twice in the closing minutes. Anthony Gordon's strike had put Thomas Tuchel's side five minutes plus stoppage time away from a first final since 1966. However, Tuchel's decision to switch to a back five on 72 minutes allowed Argentina to seize control of the match.

Enzo Fernandez struck from distance unchallenged before Lautaro Martinez headed home unmarked to complete the turnaround. The defeat highlighted a stark contradiction in Tuchel's management. Before the tournament, he had sharply criticised the team's previous mindset for being "more afraid to drop out of the tournament than having the hunger and excitement to win it."

Against Argentina, Tuchel appeared to coach that exact fear into his side. Rather than pressing for a second goal with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham still on the pitch, England retreated. Tuchel admitted he did not expect his players to drop so deep, sharing the blame, but the tactical shift handed the initiative to the team ranked number one in the FIFA World Rankings.

Squad selection under scrutiny

Tuchel's bold squad selections also struggled under the weight of the tournament. He omitted established figures like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire and Cole Palmer in favour of what he called "specialists". This left England severely short when injuries accumulated.

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka entered the tournament carrying injuries, and Reece James suffered a hamstring injury against Ghana. Without natural back-ups like Adam Wharton, and with Tino Livramento selected despite missing more than 30 club games last season, Tuchel was forced to play Djed Spence and Morgan Rogers out of position. A constantly changing defence featuring Jarell Quansah, John Stones and Ezri Konsa never found stability, leaving England repeatedly vulnerable on the counter-attack.

Job secure despite exit

Despite the painful manner of the defeat, Tuchel's position is not under threat. The German signed a two-year contract extension with the FA in February. He remains set to lead the team at Euro 2028, with the governing body understood to be fully supportive.

England still have a chance to make history. A victory against France in Saturday's third-place play-off would secure the country's best-ever World Cup finish on foreign soil. However, a September visit to Wembley by Spain, the reigning European champions, will provide an early test of whether Tuchel can restore the front-foot identity he promised.