Paul Scholes has suggested that Kobbie Mainoo and several other England players will be 'fuming' with manager Thomas Tuchel after the Three Lions' World Cup campaign ended in disappointment. England took the lead against Argentina in the semi-final through Anthony Gordon, but Tuchel's ultra-defensive approach backfired as Argentina scored two late goals to win 2-1, before losing to Spain in the final.
Tuchel faces criticism over tactics and player treatment
Tuchel has faced a wave of criticism from fans and pundits for his cautious tactics and substitutions, with some calling for him to resign. A particularly divisive issue has been his treatment of Bukayo Saka, who was left on the bench against Argentina but scored a hat-trick in the bronze-medal match against France. There are also questions about Tuchel's refusal to use Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who finished the tournament without playing a single minute.
Scholes: Mainoo 'wasn't even given a sniff'
After England's win over France, Tuchel claimed Mainoo was unavailable due to a back injury. However, Scholes dismissed this on his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Football, saying: 'He can pull a fast one but I don't expect Kobbie Mainoo to do that because he'll want to play football. I think there will be a few players fuming with the manager. It was crying out for a player who can take the ball, control the game, and he wasn't even given a sniff.'
Butt: Tuchel has 'lost a lot of players'
Scholes' former Manchester United teammate Nicky Butt agreed, saying: 'He would have lost a lot of players in that dressing room. If I'd have been treated like some of those players, I'd be thinking, "I don't want to play for him", and a few players will be saying that, I guarantee you.'
Scholes criticises Tuchel's post-match comments
Scholes, who played for England at two World Cups, also criticised Tuchel's comments after the semi-final defeat, including his remark that 'it's not in the English DNA'. Scholes said: 'You're part of that DNA now, Thomas. He's gone on the defensive and blamed players a lot. That's something Sir Alex Ferguson would never do. He would blame us behind closed doors, but never in public.'
FA reportedly keeping faith with Tuchel
Despite calls for Tuchel to be sacked, the FA reportedly plans to keep faith with him. Tuchel signed a two-year extension in February, keeping him in charge until Euro 2028.
