Gary Neville has stated that Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo will 'want answers' from England manager Thomas Tuchel after being an unused substitute throughout the entire World Cup campaign. The Three Lions were eliminated in the semi-finals following a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Argentina, with Tuchel's tactical decisions coming under scrutiny.
Mainoo's lack of game time questioned
Mainoo and late replacement Trevoh Chalobah were the only outfield players not to feature a single minute during England's run to the semi-finals. Neville expressed bewilderment at the decision not to utilize the 21-year-old, especially given Declan Rice's struggles with injury and illness during the tournament.
'Honestly, we were absolutely dead out on our feet,' Neville said on The Overlap with Sky Bet after the match. 'We couldn't get out of the box. We literally get pushed back, and then the midfield players sag back onto you because their legs have gone. I think the three of them (in midfield) were all absolutely out on their feet.'
He added: 'You look at today, Declan definitely, he's not been right since day one, has he? That's a big problem for us. Him not having the energy and the speed to get to the ball. We know what he's like; he's a fantastic player. Kobbie Mainoo would be asking a question, wouldn't he? You'd be wanting answers if you're Kobbie Mainoo after not coming on at all. Because he can handle the ball a bit as well.'
Tuchel's substitutions under fire
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon in the second half, but Tuchel's negative changes allowed Argentina to fight back. Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored late goals to seal a 2-1 victory, booking their place in the final. Neville criticized the manager's decision to not introduce fresh legs earlier, particularly in midfield.
Neville also suggested that Tuchel should have considered substituting captain Harry Kane to provide more pace on the counter-attack. 'I honestly think the real bold decision at 1-0 up was probably to take Harry Kane off,' he said. 'I said it earlier, if you want pace on the counter-attack in central areas, you've got to take off Jude Bellingham and Harry, or one of them, and bring on players like Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers up front.'
Overall tournament assessment
Reflecting on England's campaign, Neville pointed to a lack of preparation against top-tier opposition as a key flaw. 'If we go back to pre-tournament, I think we all said the minute England come up against a team that's technically going to keep possession from us in the biggest, most pressurised moments, we're going to struggle,' he said.
'We've played Mexico, Norway and Congo DR — Mexico was a tough game, but this is the first team we've played at a real high level, and we've been found wanting the minute we've played a tough team. I think that's the closest you're going to get to a World Cup final — 85 minutes, one-nil up against Argentina, with a final within your grasp.'
Tuchel has vowed to remain in charge until Euro 2028 and defended his in-game decisions, but the inquest into England's exit is already underway, with Mainoo's omission likely to remain a talking point.
