Thomas Tuchel is under fire following England's 2-1 defeat against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. Hopes were high as Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute strike put England ahead, but two late goals from Argentina ended the dream of reaching the men's World Cup final for the first time since 1966.
Tuchel's Tactics Under Scrutiny
The German coach's defensive-minded alterations in the second half have drawn intense criticism, with many drawing comparisons to England's Euro 2020 final loss under Sir Gareth Southgate. Former England and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, speaking on the BBC, said: “If you’re an attacking player on that pitch and you go 1-0 up and you see the changes which the manager’s making, you’re losing belief, there’s only so many times you can get away with it. Then you start thinking, oh no we’re going to sit back for this long, how are we going to get through this?”
Former Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton called the changes a 'coaching catastrophe', adding: "He made the changes, he was negative. So the question which I’m going to ask is, how can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this England team forward?"
FA Backing and Future Plans
Despite the backlash, Tuchel is said to retain the Football Association's backing and looks set to stay on as manager for Euro 2028. His initial deal covered only this World Cup, but in February he signed an extension until 2028, when he intends to lead England into the home Euros. Speaking after the Argentina loss, he said: “I have a contract until the home Euros and I’m looking forward to that even like now it is difficult to look that far ahead.”
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