England have been urged to immediately dismiss Thomas Tuchel after a dramatic World Cup semi-final collapse against Argentina. Two late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez shattered England's hopes, as the Three Lions surrendered a lead secured by Anthony Gordon.
Defensive strategy backfires
Rather than pushing for a second goal, England retreated, inviting pressure. Tuchel made several defensive substitutions, deploying six defenders in a 5-4-1 formation with Nico O'Reilly in central midfield. This allowed Argentina to launch relentless attacks, leading to Fernandez's equaliser and Martinez's stoppage-time winner.
According to match statistics, England had just 12% possession between Gordon's opener and Martinez's decisive header—a stark illustration of Argentina's dominance.
Fierce criticism from pundits
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara, reacting on talkSPORT, lambasted Tuchel's approach. "He cannot play like this against Argentina. They will not quit. It's a terrible, terrible decision from Thomas Tuchel. We retreated way too early," O'Hara said. "This is what he was brought in for, to get this decision right."
After Martinez's winner, O'Hara shouted: "Oh my God, we're out. It's the worst decision ever, it's a sackable offence. Argentina have won it. How can you make that decision? With 25 minutes to go, he's all over the place, he's absolutely bottled it and we're out of the World Cup because of Thomas Tuchel. Embarrassing!"
Tuchel's contract and future
Despite the outcry, Tuchel has confirmed he intends to honour his contract, which runs until Euro 2028. Speaking after the match, he said: "We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros. I'm looking forward to that, even though right now it's difficult to look that far ahead."
