The Football Association have vowed to stick with Thomas Tuchel following England’s disappointing World Cup exit at the hands of Argentina last night.
The German recently signed a two-year contract extension that takes him through to the 2028 European Championship that will be staged in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
Unless he opts to walk away – which seems highly unlikely given he has regularly spoken of his desire to lead the Three Lions at a home Euros – then Tuchel will be allowed to mould the team for at least another two years.
But is that the right call? Here are five reasons why the FA should act now and dismiss the former Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and PSG boss.
ENGLAND SQUAD SELECTION
Was bizarre at the time and now looks plain wrong. The lack of quality full-backs was apparent from the outset, with an over-reliance on players who are injury-prone.
Reece James and Tino Livramento are rarely fit and so it was no surprise to anyone – bar perhaps Tuchel – when they were both hit with fitness problems. Livramento was forced to withdraw before the tournament got underway but, rather than realise his mistake, Tuchel compounded it by bringing in another central defender in Trevoh Chalobah.
Chalobah didn’t play a single minute while the likes of Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa and even Declan Rice had to fill in at right-back.
Tuchel’s emphasis on ‘good characters’ also came back to bite him. Dressing room chemistry is fine but the players also have to be good enough. Dan Burn did a job against Mexico but is woefully short of ability while Jordan Henderson’s most notable moment came when he broke his arm celebrating. Neither man should’ve been anywhere near the squad while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton spent the summer on the beach.
ENGLAND TEAM SELECTION
Tuchel’s team selections were also muddled. Having been a key figure in England’s qualifying campaign when it became clear the central defensive pairing was Marc Guehi, plus one other, the Manchester City man was left out of the starting XI for the opener against Croatia. It made no sense and Guehi was swiftly restored to the side.
The right of England’s attack also provided some head-scratching moments. The inclusion of Noni Madueke ahead of Bukayo Saka was odd with the Arsenal back-up winger failing to impress. The use of Arsenal’s first-choice winger may have been the better option. Having flipped between the two all tournament, Tuchel then selected Morgan Rogers for the semi-final against Argentina. It all indicated a lack of clarity and muddled thinking.
USE OF KOBBIE MAINOO
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo did not play a single minute during the World Cup. Instead, Tuchel tried every possible alternative. Against Croatia he switched a visibly tired and permanent injury-risk James into midfield when the smart move would have been to turn to the 21-year-old. Against Panama he brought on Henderson with six minutes to go and left Mainoo on the bench..
Clearly Tuchel does not rate Mainoo. That’s fine, that’s his opinion, but then why take him in the first place?
NEGATIVE TACTICS
The most obvious and valid criticism of Tuchel was his eagerness to sit back and invite teams on. It was partially justified in the game against Mexico with England down to 10 men and looking to hang on at altitude at the Azteca.
But against Argentina, it was baffling. Having taken a deserved lead 10 minutes after half-time, the smart move would have been to bolster the midfield and inject some pace into a jaded attack, preventing Argentina from dominating possession and ensuring England maintained a threat going forward.
Instead, he introduced Konsa for Anthony Gordon, a defender for England’s fastest attacker. Burn and Nico O’Reilly were also brought on, meaning England had six defenders on the field when Enzo Fernandez equalised. Not one of the six prevented Lionel Messi crossing for an unmarked Lautaro Martinez to head home two minutes into injury-time.
Tuchel’s changes handed the initiative to Argentina, enabling them to move the ball around at will and it seemed only a matter of time before the South American champions found a way through.
England managed just two successful passes between Gordon’s goal and the equaliser and 12% possession. That was over a 25-minute spell. How Tuchel failed to spot the problem and address it will forever remain a mystery.
LACK OF CONTRITION
No-one expected a mea culpa but a small acknowledgement that he may have got things wrong would have been welcomed. Instead Tuchel said he had “no regrets” and was “happy” with how his team played against Argentina. He was seemingly the only one with even diplomatic captain Harry Kane questioning the decision to sit back.
Tuchel also dismissed his critics by saying: “Of course a million coaches after the game know it better. You can discuss this with a million coaches.”
There is a self-confidence to Tuchel that is not mirrored in his decisions. He suggested Argentina’s DNA of ball-retention was not instilled into England’s players at an early age, and yet did not take England’s most technically gifted players, such as Wharton, Cole Palmer or Phil Foden.
