Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has defended Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions after England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, insisting the approach had been effective in earlier matches.
Burn on Tuchel's Tactical Shift
Burn, who was introduced as a substitute in the final minutes of the match, rejected criticism of Tuchel's decision to adopt a defensive formation. The Three Lions had successfully used a back five to see out victories against Mexico and Norway earlier in the tournament.
“No listen, I think he done that in the last few games and it worked out well,” Burn said. “So I don't think we can take massive criticism. When we were in 4-4-2 defending we were conceding a lot of chances so something had to change.”
England had taken the lead but conceded two late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, leaving them moments from a World Cup final appearance.
Players Must Share Responsibility
Burn emphasized that the players must also accept responsibility for the defeat. “We have been pretty solid switching to five in the previous games so yeah the manager may have wanted to do something in hindsight but also as players we have to take responsibility to get us through being 10 or 15 minutes away from a World Cup final. We really should have seen it out.”
The Blyth-born defender admitted he was in shock after the final whistle. “I was in shock at the end. I didn't have a lot of emotion and still feel pretty numb about it. There was a lot of emotion and not a lot being said but something we will digest over the next few days.”
Tuchel's Instructions and Missed Opportunities
Burn revealed that Tuchel had instructed him to stop crosses when he came on, but the plan did not materialize as hoped. “We were already in a back five by then so I didn't need that much instruction if I was honest. I knew why I was coming on, to stop crosses and stop chances but the way it worked out I didn't get the chance to defend anything, it all seemed to come in from my side, so I was gutted. I went up front for the last five minutes to create something but nothing seemed to fall for us.”
Pride Despite Heartbreak
Despite the pain of defeat, Burn expressed pride in the team's performance throughout the tournament. “It is gutting. When you come within 10 or 15 minutes of a World Cup final and don't get it done it hurts. I thought we'd nailed the game plan up until we scored. We stuck to the game plan and knew what Argentina were going to do and I thought we dealt with it really well.”
He added: “We got a little bit passive after the goal and defended a little bit too deep and the quality of chances Argentina were creating, it felt like a matter of time. We conceded too many crosses and too many chances. I think it's hard because in previous games we have done it so well.”
Burn concluded: “To get that close and not do it it is very sad. I am gutted right now but I am so proud of what the team has done. I don't think anybody gave us a chance going into this. The brotherhood we have spoken about has taken us a long way. If I am being totally honest I had a feeling we were going to do it and had a feeling it was 'our time'. I think Argentina showed why they are world champions, they have been there and done it. That saw them through in the end.”
England will now prepare for the third-place play-off against an as-yet undetermined opponent in Miami on Saturday.
