Wayne Rooney has urged the Football Association not to dismiss Thomas Tuchel as England manager – unless Pep Guardiola is willing to take the job. The former Manchester United striker made the comments after England's World Cup elimination by Argentina on Wednesday night, a defeat that extended the nation's 60-year wait for a major trophy.
Tuchel under fire after Argentina collapse
Tuchel, who succeeded Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024, has faced heavy criticism for his tactics in the quarter-final. England took the lead in the second half but then retreated, with Tuchel making defensive substitutions that backfired as Argentina scored twice to win. Rooney was among the first to criticise on the night, stating that the changes caused the team to 'lose belief'. Reports also emerged that some squad members privately complained about the game plan.
Despite the disappointment, Tuchel signed a new contract just before the tournament, and the FA has indicated it intends to stick with him. Rooney believes that is the right call given the lack of viable alternatives, but he made an exception for Guardiola, who left Manchester City at the end of last season.
Rooney: 'Unless Guardiola, keep Tuchel'
'I don't see anyone else out there at the minute, unless you go and get Pep Guardiola. If Pep Guardiola is available, then maybe you go and get him,' Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. 'I think he is a top-class manager and what the top managers do, they learn from the mistakes and they improve and get better.'
Rooney added: 'If we sack him, what managers are we going to bring in? And I don't think there's anyone out there who's as good as Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola. But the big thing for me is he's not experienced at World Cups. We had the exact same with [Fabio] Capello. The World Cup is different and you need to feel that environment and now he's felt it.'
Guardiola is currently the bookmakers' favourite to replace Tuchel, ahead of Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe.
England's long wait continues
Under Southgate, England reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the 2022 quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual champions France. They also reached the finals of the last two European Championships, losing to Italy and Spain. Tuchel's appointment was meant to end the drought, but Wednesday's defeat means the wait goes on.
