Thomas Tuchel’s substitutes have been criticized after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals.
England players were reportedly stunned by Thomas Tuchel’s tactics against Argentina. (Image: (Photo by Liu Lu/VCG via Getty Images))
England’s World Cup stars were reportedly “stunned” by manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactical approach as the Three Lions lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals. Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute with five minutes remaining in regular time as they moved one step closer to progressing to the World Cup finals.
The Barcelona winger broke the deadlock in the second half with a brilliant run into the penalty area, guiding Morgan Rodgers’ cross into the net to give England a deserved lead. Yet after the goal, England fell back and crumbled as they tried to absorb the pressure.
Argentina confirmed their World Cup credentials with two late goals and qualified for back-to-back finals against Spain to defend their title.
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The Telegraph reported that Tuchel’s choice to bring on Ezri Konsa, Dan Byrne and Nico O’Reilly left several England players perplexed as they tried to protect the lead and seal the match.
It’s a tactic that proved very effective for the Three Lions in their Round of 16 match against Mexico, resulting in one of the best World Cup performances in recent memory with a 10-man squad. However, facing a superior opponent in Argentina, England succumbed to the weight of pressure.
The report suggests that those in England’s camp feel that Argentina were on the verge of winning after Gordon’s opening goal, and that Lionel Scaloni’s side would have been more exposed on the counter-attack and would have played directly to England’s strengths.
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Thomas Tuchel leads England to the World Cup semi-finals (Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
However, Tuchel opted for a 5-4-1 formation rather than bring in the likes of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford or Noni Madueke to inject fresh energy on the wing.
Olly Watkins was another player left on the bench, and it was only with England down 2-1 that Tuchel hit back with an aggressive substitution plan, bringing on Rashford and Ivan Toney.
The report also suggests that there is a view that Declan Rice’s departure should have been replaced by an out-and-out midfielder rather than a defender.
Koby Mainu remained on the bench and did not play a single minute throughout the tournament.
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After the final whistle, Tuchel defended his choice, saying: “After the game, millions of coaches think they know better. I have to make a decision. That’s how I analyzed the game.”
“I have no regrets. The team gave it their all and played a better game. It was probably the best under the circumstances.”
However, defender Marc Guehi was one who felt England should have kept up the pressure on Argentina. After the match he said: “After leading 1-0, it looked like we were trying to hold on, but at this level it wasn’t enough, so I was disappointed.
“We should have kept going. We should have kept pushing. I felt like after we scored, we had the mentality to go back and defend.”
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