Harry Kane has spoken out in support of England head coach Thomas Tuchel following the Three Lions' World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, insisting the players remain firmly behind the German manager despite growing calls for his sacking.
Kane Defends Tuchel Amid Fan Backlash
Kane acknowledged that supporters have every right to feel 'sad and angry' about the manner of the semi-final heartache, but maintained that Tuchel's 'enthusiasm and tactical experience' can drive England forward. The England captain stated the team remains in a 'grieving stage' after the defeat, which ended their hopes of lifting the trophy.
England did at least secure their finest World Cup finish on foreign soil by beating France 6-4 to claim the bronze medal. However, Kane admitted it is difficult to digest precisely because Tuchel had allowed them all to dream, and says the German remains the right man to take the team forward.
Players Stand by Tuchel
Kane said: 'It's our highest [World Cup] finish in 60 years. The enthusiasm he has, the emotion he brings, the tactical experience he has. It doesn't mean you're going to get it right every time. We want to get it right on the biggest occasions and he expects that from himself as well. He's a fantastic coach. He not only gave the players belief but he gave the country belief that it was our year.'
He added: 'That is why it hurts even more than other years because everyone believed we were going all the way. Everyone has to process it. He has to process it himself. We're still in that grieving stage, the emotional stage, and we'll be in that for the next few weeks. It won't be until the next camp where you think about what the future holds and what the next target is. We'll have conversations as captain and manager and with other team-mates and staff, to see where we can be better.'
Fans' Right to Be Angry
Kane acknowledged that he can sympathise with the supporters' frustrations, with Tuchel's name even drawing boos from the crowd ahead of kick-off in the third-place play-off against France. He said: 'It's so hard. I think the fans are behind the team and are behind the manager. When something like this happens it's very emotional – and rightly so. We've all been England fans when we wished we'd done this or that and it didn't quite happen. That will die down naturally.'
He continued: 'Before we know it, we'll be back with our clubs and the focus shifts to Champions League or the Nations League. Things do move quickly. Fans have a right to be emotional, sad and angry. We all are, we all feel it. We have a chance to change it but it wasn't to be this year. There is still a lot of positives to take from this, competing against the odds away from home and you finish third. Keep your chin up and go again.'
Tuchel's First Major Tournament
Kane also noted that this was Tuchel's first major tournament as England manager. He said: 'When you take the job of England manager, he knows that if it doesn't go the way we want it then he's going to take some stick. That is part and parcel of the job. I know there are a lot of questions after the other night. We have to process it as players. I'm sure the manager will. It's his first major tournament. He'll learn a lot from the players, the situations, the pressures, the travel. There are also a lot of things as players we can learn from the other night. For now it's just trying to process everything.'
Kane praised the team's togetherness, saying: 'We had a lot of good things, a lot of tough situations we overcame. The group is incredible, the best England group I've been a part of in terms of togetherness. The boss was a bit part of creating that as well.'
