Manager Thomas Tuchel admitted he was left with a “scar” after England’s World Cup heartbreak.
England manager Tuchel insisted he took full responsibility, but insisted he wanted to continue despite the backlash after losing to Argentina in the semi-finals.
It was a brutal and painful press conference ahead of the third-place match against France, with Tuchel looking visibly shaken and defiant as he faced a grueling challenge.
The biggest question was the “playing of blame” and whether it was the coach or the players who were to blame.
Tuchel was initially shaken, brushing off Donald Trump’s criticism of England’s tactics, but quickly went into a detailed explanation of the defeat.
“Do I need someone to blame me?” I agree.”
Tuchel said: “The responsibility is mine. Listen, if someone else says it’s easier, it’s easier, then I will take the responsibility. That’s not a mistake. My understanding is that this is a death you have signed for yourself. But you have the right to do so.”
“But I don’t get involved. I don’t get involved in these kinds of matches. For me, there’s no one to blame. Who should I blame? The responsibility lies with me and the head coach.”
“Like I said, we make in-game decisions based on trust, competitiveness, experience and what we felt in practice and what I felt during the game.
“And we go from there. All the other scenarios are just scenarios. No one knows the outcome of other substitutions or other changes.
“It’s a simple approach to think about structure, attack and defense. I think the game is more complex. It’s how you live within the structure that matters. How you play within the structure is always important.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel (left) and John Stones (right) during a press conference at Miami Stadium (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
“We had problems at 4-2. With other structures we couldn’t solve the problems afterwards. That’s the way it is and we have to accept this. So it’s our pain, my pain and the players’ pain.”
“We feel the pain more than anything and that’s the wound we’re carrying right now. It’s a very painful loss and we have to live with it.
“First and foremost, it’s not the critics, the experts, the families who are suffering just like we are.
“As always, we are competitive and all the players in camp are very competitive and are going through all the good phases, so we will do that.
“So we will overcome it. We will take advantage of it. We will react and it starts tomorrow. We have a gap to fill and we recognize it and it is worth it.”
Coach Tuchel admits fatigue was a factor
Tuchel insisted his players remained empty due to the World Cup schedule, as well as playing in the highlands of Mexico City.
Tuchel said he “accepts responsibility” for England’s World Cup exit but defended his tactics (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
Tuchel said: “Even if we don’t want to admit it, it always feels like an excuse and it’s something we never want to talk about, but the game in Mexico, the altitude, the travel, we lost absolutely no sleep, and I think it was less than the extra time in Norway in the heat.”
“So I felt that way and I think that’s part of how the game unfolds. The players, these players are so important. They’re literally going to get everything physically in every game.”
“When you see these stats go down, there has to be a reason behind it, because like any team that made it through, the motivation was through the roof.
“We could not reach this intensity. I think Argentina has found a new year, found a new moment, found a new belief.
“They have built something over the years and of course they have the experience of going through these kinds of moments and these kinds of matches and winning titles together. So this came to life. Messi was on the other side.”
Tuchel was also asked about the change in public opinion and whether it would affect his desire to continue playing, to which he replied: “No, it hasn’t changed my way of thinking. If that’s what I want (to continue playing).”
Tuchel insists he has no regrets about the decision he made, no matter how stubborn they are.
“I felt like I had to do something different for the team, so I trusted my instincts, intuition, experience and competitiveness and made the decision. I made the decision to help the team and get a result. But decisions are made under stress. Decisions are made in the game. If I didn’t react, I would regret it. But I don’t regret the decision itself.”
His call ultimately led fans to question whether he was the right man to lead England forward, with manager Tuchel criticizing the division in his support base.
“I want to paint a picture of myself. I think it’s a powerful statement for you to say here and be an advocate for half the country being against me, or a country divided. Let’s wait for it. What are your questions?”
They were then asked whether negative feedback from supporters would change their mind about staying in the job. “If I want to continue, my mind will never change,” he said.
Tuchel also insisted that England must remember that this is their fourth semi-final and are outsiders among the top four, but they want to close the gap.
Tuchel added: “I think there is a difference because of the titles that Argentina and Spain have as national teams. What they have built over the years with their coach and team. There is still a small gap to close.”
“I think this gap shows the expectation that these countries will win the World Cup and the European finals, and we didn’t. I think we certainly demanded that of ourselves within camp, dreamed of it, pushed for it and competed for it.”
“But there are still gaps to fill in how to play football under pressure, how to practice yourself and how to get to the next level.”
Analysis: “One of the most tense press conferences I’ve ever seen.”
It was truly one of the most intense and tense press conferences I have ever seen in my 27 years covering England.
That’s because the impact from Wednesday was huge. But going from having high hopes to feeling so flat and depressed, even by British standards, is difficult to digest.
That’s what soccer gives you. As the saying goes, it kills you.
US President Donald Trump criticizes Thomas Tuchel’s decision to hire Harry Kane for England national team (Image: Getty Images)
Even US President Donald Trump has his doubts about England’s tactics and the use of Harry Kane. “What do I know about football?” Trump said. “They took the lead, took their best player and put him on defense.”
But what makes it so fascinating is also the way it unfolds. England blew it away. Frustration and disappointment quickly turned to anger and blame.
Tuchel has been hailed as public enemy number one. The Football Association quickly issued a statement from CEO Mark Bullingham paying tribute to the team. They also supported Tuchel.
But it ended up only making Tuchel’s future even more controversial. why? He has two years left on his contract.
Then the blame game began. The players were definitely surprised by Tuchel’s substitution. One source close to the locker room claimed the manager had “let the players down”.
Tuchel’s comments raised eyebrows among the players and those close to them. It shifted all the blame onto the players and suggested they simply did not follow his instructions.
Sacking Tuchel is not in the FA’s thoughts. They remain convinced he is the right man for the job and if England beat France they would finish third, their highest ever World Cup on foreign soil and their best since winning in 1966.
But Tuchel had combustible habits and his departures from Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea were quite acrimonious.
Therefore, it is not beyond imagination for him to quit. However, he would need to leave for the manager to be replaced.
The much bigger problem, and the biggest problem of all, is regaining the trust of the fans. And there must be a question whether that is possible. Few managers lose fans and bring them back into their teams.
That’s the battle with Tuchel. Having attracted loyal England fans, he lost them. They are genuinely angry and some want him out. They see him as a failed Flash.
Are we overreacting? No, no. Even impartial observers believe that England have the best squad and squad in the competition. Let me tell you, they don’t have the experience or proven winners that Spain or Argentina have.
Tuchel now has the huge task of moving England forward and winning back fans.
