Joe Cole has confessed that England's World Cup performance against DR Congo left him so alarmed that he found himself questioning Thomas Tuchel's future in the job. The former Three Lions midfielder joked that he was mulling over handing the reins to Eddie Howe during England's dismal first-half display against the African underdogs.
England's shaky start against DR Congo
England found themselves trailing in their Round of 32 clash with Congo and required Harry Kane to spare them from a stunning upset. Brian Cipenga sent shockwaves through the tournament when he breached the Three Lions' defence after just seven minutes. Tuchel's men came out fighting following the setback and the hydration break, yet it was only in the closing stages that the Bayern Munich talisman and England's all-time leading scorer hauled them to safety with a superb brace.
Cole's candid admission on Netflix show
Cole, speaking on the Rest is Football show on Netflix, revealed he was contemplating a change in the dugout as England stared down the barrel of a humiliating early exit. He said: "We said today we thought he'd (Mainoo) come on to find a pass. Tuchel said before the tournament, 15/16 players he makes the same subs and he's got the same way of playing, he could've panicked today and thrown on Toney or Watkins."
"I was panicking, at one point we were talking who's the next England manager, is it Eddie Howe? Just before the hydration break, we're trying to change the manager. That's why I think we've got a chance because you've got two of your best players at the top of their powers," he continued. "Forget everyone else Declan, he's a bit off it, he's carrying something, we don't look like we're assured at the back but your two best players are firing, you're going into the last-16 with a chance."
Upcoming clash with Mexico
England travel to Mexico City on Monday (1am kick-off) to take on co-hosts Mexico. Following an unconvincing start from Tuchel's side, anxiety has mounted ahead of the journey to face El Tri as they head to the hostile capital with Javier Aguirre's team yet to ship a goal. Altitude may also prove a factor in the clash, with the Mexican capital sitting 2,240 metres (7,220 feet) above sea level.
Tuchel under scrutiny over squad choices
Tuchel remains a divisive figure over his squad choices, with the call to omit Trent Alexander-Arnold from the squad still proving controversial. That decision has been compounded by an injury crisis at right-back, with Tino Livramento forced to pull out through injury while Jarell Quansah hobbled off during the victory over Panama in the final group fixture. In the wake of Livramento's withdrawal, Tuchel summoned Trevoh Chalobah, a natural centre-back for Chelsea, which only intensified the furore surrounding Alexander-Arnold's exclusion.
Tuchel remains under the microscope despite England's unbeaten opening to the World Cup. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager has brought a shift in approach compared to Gareth Southgate, who steered the Three Lions to two major tournament finals before stepping down following criticism in the wake of their Euro 2024 defeat to Spain.
