Thomas Tuchel was England’s gambler. A squad few others would have picked. A backs-to-the-wall win over Mexico. Starting Morgan Rogers based on “a feeling from the coach”.
But ultimately, one bet too many from the head coach has cost the Three Lions their place in the World Cup final.
The stage was set to write history. A first-half where Lionel Messi barely left Elliot Anderson’s pocket, and England refused to be drawn into Argentina’s provocation.
The first draft was being written when Anthony Gordon fired home from 10 minutes into the second period from Rogers’ cross – vindicating the latest of Tuchel’s gut instincts. Football felt like it might actually be coming home.
But in seven short minutes, everything fell apart. In reality, it all hung on one moment. Ezri Konsa’s introduction and England’s withdrawal to a back five with more than 20 minutes to play against the reigning World Cup champions is easy to criticise in hindsight, but it felt just as questionable the moment Gordon’s number went up.
Where Tuchel promised things would be different, we have all seen this one before. England’s natural inclination to hold onto a lead – and various incidences of them failing to do so – was one of the sternest criticisms of Gareth Southgate’s era but has dogged them far longer. Portugal 2004. Brazil 2002. Argentina 1998. The list goes on.
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Paul Merson says he’s devastated at England’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final
England saw just 17 per cent of the ball and had nine touches in the Argentina half in the 15 minutes between Gordon’s goal and Konsa’s introduction. The freeze had begun to set in, though Nico Gonzalez’s header aside the World Cup holders had still had not forced Jordan Pickford into a meaningful save.
This was where Tuchel’s leadership was needed, to see through the noise and gauge the mood of what his side needed, making the unenviable choices which had served him well to that point.
England had appointed Tuchel as a winner. At half-time of the opening game of the tournament he told his players: “I don’t care if you lose, so long as you lose playing our way.” But this did not have the same courage of that conviction, as he looked to hold on to what England had instead of rebuilding their momentum and killing the game.
Not only did he exasperate England’s defensive inclinations, he simultaneously robbed them of their most direct out ball by removing Gordon – their most in-form forward beyond Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
Between Konsa’s introduction in the 71st minute and Lautaro Martinez’s winner in the 93rd, the Three Lions’ possession dropped to 7.2 per cent. They completed seven passes in the opposition half and failing to deliver a single cross, with Tuchel’s initial gameplan to exploit Argentina’s lack of width totally stifled.
“We were too passive after we scored,” Tuchel eventually admitted. He had criticised England’s Euro 2024 campaign shortly after his appointment last year, saying Southgate and his squad had been “more afraid to drop out of the tournament than having the excitement and hunger to win it”. You wonder whether he might have similar feelings about this performance in the cold light of day.
Wave after wave of Argentina attacks followed Konsa’s arrival. England had no out ball. Kane had seemingly still not recovered from running himself into the ground at the Azteca nine days ago, while Rogers had just a single touch between the change in shape and Martinez’s winner.
Beyond that, Konsa failed to win possession back for his side in the 29 minutes he was on the pitch, did not compete for a single header – and lost the ball five times.
Captain Kane refused to criticise Tuchel’s tactics after the game but made his feelings clear enough when speaking to BBC Sport moments after full-time. “At this level, holding on isn’t enough,” he said wryly.
Perhaps Tuchel had been emboldened by the way England masterfully saw out victory with 10 men at the Azteca barely a week ago.
That would be naive against incomparable opponents. Mexico had made their intentions clear after England were reduced to 10 men that they would send balls into the box – and it played into the Three Lions’ hands.
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Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol questions Thomas Tuchel’s substitutions as England lost to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final
Conversely, Argentina had one of the greatest players of all time ready to strike. And that he did, making both of Argentina’s goals. It all felt depressingly predictable.
Ultimately, Tuchel was employed to take things to the next level. Under Southgate, England beat the teams they were meant to beat and came unstuck when they were underdogs. In that regard, nothing has changed.
In the cold light of day, it may be easier to reflect on how that rousing half-time intervention against Croatia, some bold attacking changes and one well-timed defensive intervention promised hope that Tuchel’s in-game management might have proven the missing piece of the puzzle which was sadly lacking in the previous regime.
It is a painful irony that instead it is one throw of the dice too many, and a reversion to the type of football Tuchel had boldly promised to end, which will now haunt him, and England, for at least the next two years.
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