David James has insisted that England's World Cup exit was not Thomas Tuchel's fault, blaming a defensive lapse from a corner kick instead of the manager's substitutions. Writing in his exclusive column for Metro, the former England goalkeeper said the players switched off at a crucial moment, allowing Argentina to equalise and spark a collapse.
The Moment That Changed the Game
James pinpointed Enzo Fernandez's goal as the turning point. He noted that England's players had their backs to Lionel Messi as he took a quick corner, leaving Fernandez unmarked on the edge of the box. "If someone had closed him down, the shot wouldn't have gone in and we might have held on," James wrote. "But in that moment, we switched off, they took advantage and that was the start of the collapse."
England had led 1-0 at half-time but conceded twice in the second half to lose 2-1. James emphasised that the defensive lapse was more damaging than any tactical decision: "It didn't need to happen and that, above any of the substitutions, is what was most damaging."
Defensive Substitutions Backfired
Tuchel replaced attackers with defenders in the second half, a move James described as an admission of intent to defend. "When you take off attackers for defenders, it gives the opposition extra encouragement," he said. England switched to a back six at times, which James called "desperate" and a first for the tournament.
He suggested alternative changes could have helped: "Bringing on Marcus Rashford for Anthony Gordon instead of Ezri Konsa maybe would have told them we still carry a dangerous threat going forward." However, he reiterated that the players' focus was the root cause: "That could have happened with 10 attackers on the pitch."
Questions Over Kobbie Mainoo's Omission
James raised concerns about the lack of game time for midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who did not play a minute at the tournament. "Our midfield needed freshening up at times," James said. "Only Tuchel and Mainoo know the real answer why he wasn't used." He added that in hindsight, any alternative selection becomes a reasonable argument.
Tuchel Still the Right Man
Despite the defeat, James backed Tuchel to continue as England manager. "I trust the reasoning behind going so defensive is because he knew what he had available to him," he wrote. "But players switching off isn't the manager's fault. The question for the players is why they lost focus in that moment."
James concluded by reflecting on England's overall tournament performance: "They've given us a tremendous ride. If Tuchel stays on, I think we still have the right manager and the right group of players in place."
