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.
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.
On Wednesday, Germany’s changes caused England to collapse.
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.
John is currently in North America with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, giving Mirror readers the inside scoop on the team’s bid to win the Men’s World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
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