Questions are being asked of Thomas Tuchel (Image: Getty)
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. In one of Thomas Tuchel’s first interviews as manager, the German lamented England’s timidity heading into the Euro 2024 final.
But from the moment Anthony Gordon scored to make it 1-0 for England, the Three Lions lost their roar. Between the 66th and 84th minute, England completed two passes, both between goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and defender John Stones.
Perhaps worse was England’s approach after taking the lead. The first change saw goalscorer Gordon replaced by Ezri Konsa. Nico O’Reilly and Dan Byrne then appeared to see how the match went. The number of defenders has also increased.
By the time Lionel Messi picked Lautaro Martinez at the back post, almost all of England’s outfield players were camped inside the 18-yard box, and had been for quite some time. Tuchel made a big mistake in his management during the game against Argentina, and he was brought on to stop that.
After all, the only appropriate course of action would be to fire him, right? Not entirely.
It cannot be overstated that Tuchel’s decision was wrong. But even great football managers sometimes get it wrong.
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Tuchel’s crowning glory, winning the 2021 Champions League with Chelsea, was helped by Pep Guardiola’s refusal to use a holding midfielder and the Blues taking advantage. In knockout football the margins amplify this type of mistake, but some context should still be applied.
England’s decline towards own goals did not start with the subs. Legs tired from fighting so hard in the high altitudes of Mexico City and the heat of Miami, he involuntarily gave up the ball, allowing Argentina to invade much earlier.
Thomas Tuchel may be censured, but he shouldn’t be sacked (Image: Getty)
Tuchel reacted to this by bringing in players who were supposed to be able to deal with the barrage better than those originally on the pitch. In hindsight, this move should have brought fresh players such as Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Koby Mainu off the bench sooner.
Anyway, it happens. And that’s without even mentioning Messi, the greatest soccer player of all time who can and has broken down any defense during his 20-year career.
The other aspect of the question here is, if not Tuchel, who will be next? The FA spent a lot of money rolling out the red carpet for Tuchel, who is already fully committed to England’s Euro 2028 campaign.
Josep Guardiola is technically available, but will he take the job immediately after leaving Manchester City? Sources say Guardiola has the potential to become an international manager in the future, but is first looking to earn a little living after a frustrating 10 years at the Etihad Stadium.
Tuchel failed against Argentina. He’ll have to live with it for the rest of his career. But the FA should not base their decision on the verdict of the kangaroo court and, while the British public is understandably angry, all focus now must be on bringing football home in two years’ time.
