THE BLAME GAME
Come Saturday, it will be 73 days since the pain and shame of Atlanta, when England, from a winning position in a World Cup semi-final, decided to do an England, and sit on their lead. What followed resembled a slow-motion crash test dummies video, Enzo Fernández first summoning the ghost of Andy Möller at Euro 96 with his high-camp cavorting celebration, and then Lautaro Martínez, unmarked, nodding home. Englishmen across the globe slumped, Croydon BoxPark fell deathly silent. Allowing Lionel Messi the freedom of Georgia on the inside-right channel had turned out to be a critical oversight. Whoops.
Still too soon? Feels that way. An everlasting international break brings unwelcome flashbacks to the summer, the Nations League quadruple-header a soft re-entry to international football, though facing world champions is a severe test of credentials. Any Football Association bloviation of a best performance since 1966 in winning a third-place playoff game that resembled a hungover Soccer Aid, France not making a tackle in the first half, has done little to brush away the disappointment. Plenty of blame to share around, and Thomas Tuchel more than happy to share it. His explanation for that battening down of the hatches has been a case of “it’s not me, it’s you”.
The Tuchel version of events is that shovelling on Big Dan Burn with nine minutes to play was a reaction to players having already decided unilaterally to bunch up in front of Jordan Pickford and follow in the tradition of failures past. Conjuring Sid Vicious’s thoughts on the man in the street, Tuchel has said 99% of fans don’t ask him about his Atlanta substitutions. To follow Tuchel’s narrative, there’s some corner of a foreign field that’s for ever an England player, exhausted, unable to complete a pass, gassing out. It is a compelling argument, plenty such cases to back it up, though was it not Tuchel’s job to stop it happening? Analysis this week suggested the gassing out followed Tuchel asking players to run too hard in the group stage. A squad mostly coming off hard seasons in the grasp and grapple of the Premier League could not replicate such energy in the knockouts, their rearguard efforts against Mexico and Norway portentous preludes to facing Argentina.
Entering a fantasy scenario, the likelihood is that Spain, who teased Argentina to the point of losing their rag, would have done much the same to England in the final. They already did that in the Euro 2024 final. Spain enjoying 21st century success often sends root-and-branch reformers to ask whether England can learn lessons. But “we don’t have that strength like the Spanish, where we control games like they do,” sighed Anthony Gordon, now playing in Spain, memories of his goal in Atlanta bittersweet. Gordon’s solution? “Play to our strengths, which is play physical, play direct football and on the counterattack.” Sounds familiar. With Tuchel unrepentant, the English ready themselves for Euro 2028 as more of the same, starting Saturday with Spain.
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Join Michael Butler from 7.45pm BST for a Nations League clockwatch, including Italy 0-0 Belgium, Turkey 0-0 France, and more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I talk less than most captains but I know people are watching. They think: ‘If this guy’s running like an animal, I have to follow.’ If you talk too much and then don’t do what you have to, people aren’t going to listen” – Raphinha gets his chat on with Sid Lowe about how he lets his hard-working legs do the talking for him when he leads Barcelona.
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As an avid Manchester United fan, I would love to have a clump of the hallowed turf on display in my living room for daily worship purposes (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). However, what are the chances of my getting a piece that isn’t covered in spit and nasal blowings? I’d say highly unlikely, so I think I’d respectfully give it a miss” – Nigel Green.
I wonder if Harry Kane’s desire to play in the NFL is because someone told him that as a kicker in American football every time an opposing player touched him it would be a penalty?” – Pat Condreay.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day prize goes to … Pat Condreay, who wins a copy of Behind the Curtain by Big Website’s Jonathan Wilson. It’s out now and available in The Guardian Bookshop alongside loads of other great football titles. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
BEES TEASE
These are heady days for Barnet, top of League Two in just their second season back in the EFL, thanks to transformative manager Dean Brennan. And things could be getting even more exciting for the Bees. After it was revealed Dele Alli has been training at The Hive Stadium, Brennan said: “I’d absolutely snap your hands off if Dele was interested [in signing] and take him all day long … we’ll see what happens”, adding that he would run a marathon if it meant the former Spurs star joined the Bees. Some further teasing by the admins on Barnet’s social media disgraces followed and everyone was primed to welcome Alli to the muck and nettles of League Two, having last been seen in professional football in March 2025 when he was sent off on his only appearance for Como. “He still has that special quality but football moves so fast and the game’s not showing him any love,” added Brennan.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Former England and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has revealed in his autobiography he was sexually assaulted by a man in 2021.
English football’s leading fans’ group has criticised the UK Football Policing Unit for “bringing Hillsborough into the debate” around drinking in sight of the pitch, as PM Andy Burnham ponders changing the law.
The Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A have called for fundamental reform of Fifa, saying the organisation’s governance is “not fit for purpose” under Gianni Infantino.
In the Nations League on Thursday night, João Félix’s strike for Portugal was enough to sink Wales 1-0, while Cody Gakpo’s late equaliser for the Netherlands denied Jürgen Klopp a winning start as Germany boss.
Israel’s forward Saied Abu Farchi was sent off as a result of his goal celebration against Austria in his side’s 3-1 Nations League defeat.
Brazil scraped a flamin’ 1-1 draw with Australia thanks to a 95th-minute equaliser from Bournemouth’s Rayan. Nestory Irankunda’s free-kick had put the Socceroos in front in North Queensland.
Mauricio Pochettino said he regrets not being “more involved” in the situation surrounding USA USA USA forward Folarin Balogun at the Geopolitics World Cup. “These types of things … should be strictly sporting and common sense,” he tooted.
David Beckham has taken a £39m dividend from his business empire fuelled by a series of deals with World Cup brands. Nice money if you can get it.
And finally, Zinedine Zidane has reportedly banned his French players from getting haircuts at their Clairefontaine training base. No one enters once the training camp starts under Zizou, according to L’Equipe.
STILL WANT MORE?
Sandro Mazzola has died aged 83. He was an outstanding forward who won two European Cups with Internazionale and a World Cup runners-up medal with Italy, writes Richard Williams in this obituary.
“A lot of people counted me out.” Ashley Sanchez leads the NWSL’s Golden Boot race with 19 goals so far this season; she chatted to Abigail Segel.
Keiron Dyer has left his “hooligan” days behind him as he steers Southend United towards the top of the National League. He caught up with Sam Dalling.
After winning back-to-back major tournaments, Luis de De la Fuente brings his insatiable Spain to England hungry for more success, writes Sid Lowe.
And nicknamed “mini Valverde” by Thomas Tuchel, James Garner’s spirit and intelligence have earned him another chance with England and he is keen to test himself against the world champions, according to David Hytner.
MEMORY LANE
13 January 1923: Plymouth Argyle’s ‘lucky balloon’ is released by supporters before their FA Cup first-round match against Notts County. The match ended 0-0 but the lucky balloon worked its magic in the replay as Argyle won 1-0.
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