Thomas Tuchel has pushed back at claims he ordered his players to sit back during England's World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina, revealing he issued a private two-word plea to his substitutes. The Three Lions boss questioned the nation's footballing DNA after his side surrendered a 1-0 lead in the dying embers of the match, eventually losing 2-1 in the 92nd minute.
England's Collapse Against Argentina
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute, but from that point on, the team retreated and surrendered space to their Argentine opponents. With Lionel Messi's influence, Argentina asserted control over the tie. By the time the winner arrived, England had spent the last half an hour camped inside their own 12-yard box and had nothing left to give. The approach was widely criticised by England fans, with many pointing towards Tuchel's defensive substitutions as a key contributor to the loss.
However, according to a report by The Telegraph, Tuchel and his coaching team did not instruct the players to drop off. Instead, Tuchel told the substitutes to “play higher” in a bid to win the ball back in Argentina's half and create more opportunities on the counter. Alas, that did not happen, and Argentina worked their way back into the game before eventually sealing a spot in Sunday's final.
Tuchel Defends His Strategy
Tuchel is said to have the full backing of the Football Association and is set to manage the side for the home European Championships in two years' time. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager will be hoping to see a change of mentality from his players, having said on Thursday: "In this moment my feeling was no structure in the world could have helped us. Because actually we were too passive and we were not physical enough, we didn't stop runners arriving in our box and the deliveries were wrong too. I haven't seen the data yet, but I think just right after the goal the momentum swings completely and ball possession drops dramatically. We couldn't find any duels anymore; that's why we dropped deeper and deeper. It was never the plan, but it happened."
Contrasting Reports and Future Fixtures
The finger-pointing looks set to continue, with contrasting reports claiming members of the England squad were gobsmacked at Tuchel's request for England to shut up shop and play for the 1-0 lead. England's first match after the World Cup could be against the world champions, with Spain up next in the Nations League. Tuchel and his squad have been drawn into a group with Spain, Croatia, and Czechia.
