I don’t especially like turning on managers unless they are clueless – Tuchel clearly ain’t clueless. But the more I think about our World Cup Surrender, the more furious I become.
Maybe let’s start with some positives.
We got to another World Cup semi-final. Though I never believed we’d win the tournament, and thought we might struggle in the heat, we actually got quite far.
The win against Mexico was a tactical masterclass from Tuchel, proper League 1 team beating a Premier League team in the FA Cup backs-to-the-wall football at the end.
Bellingham showed multiple times how fantastic a player he is.
And we actually looked really good going forwards against Croatia in the opening game. Albeit we looked dodgy at the back.
Surrender
Yet we couldn’t break through against Ghana.
We needed a Bellingham show to get through against DR Congo – had that second goal gone in in the first half…yikes.
Norway should have beaten us – they were the better team. Again, had that ball been squared to Haaland at 1-0, that might have been game over.
Our defence never looked solid. Did we have a reliable centre-back pairing? Did we play the same two centre backs two games in a row?
Right-back was a shambles, granted some bad luck – and a red card that our weak Prime Minister couldn’t overturn. Burnham would have sorted that with Infantino.
I’m not convinced Madueke is an International footballer (or even Premier League) but he has pace…and is young.
Also why wasn’t our colossus Maguire on the plane? Or Trent? You may say easy to say in hindsight, but I said it before the tournament, as did many others.
Defend, Defend, Defend Defend Defend
And why the fuck didn’t we bring on some fresh legs so we had an outlet at 1-0 up. We could see what was happening. I checked the odds of Argentina winning (12-1) around 75 minutes – had I a tenner in my account I would have stuck it on, but during the process of making a deposit I decided I couldn’t bet against England.
It didn’t take a genius to work out what would happen. How has Tuchel not realised this? Argentina were weak at full-back – Madueke and Rashford should have replaced Kane and Rogers, who were knackered.
Really simple stuff. Steve Bruce used to infuriate me sometimes by taking all our strikers off with 10 minutes to go 1-0 up, and we’d hang on. But also Hull City had a great defence – and this was against the likes of West Brom, not the world champions (fucking Argentina) who had repeatedly overcome defensive resolve in this very tournament.
Embed from Getty ImagesSouthgate wasn’t this defensive in the big games. Against Italy in 2021 we were 1-0 up for 65 minutes – sure, Southgate made no changes and got criticised, but when Italy equalised, he replaced Trippier with Saka. An attacking change.
We went 1-0 down against Spain in 2024, he brought on Palmer for Mainoo – an attacking changes – and Palmer scored. He didn’t bring on a 5th defender.
Against Croatia in 2018, he didn’t make defensive changes either. Sure, you can always criticise when we lose, but I stand by this – Southgate did not make ultra-defensive substitutions in big games to hang on.
Where Now?
This defeat is on Tuchel.
Totally.
Yet listening to his interview after the game, he seemed to be blaming the players.
YOU WENT 5-4-1 AND DIDN’T BRING ON FRESH LEGS.
I’m not a sack the manager kinda person. I don’t care if he stays or goes – it isn’t like there is an English manager that would be better (though I’d take Carsley back).
I just want to see him take responsibility and let’s move on, sort out the defence, and try to win Euro 2028.
Embed from Getty ImagesAlso fuck Argentina. Fuck Malbec. Steak is shit. The Falklands are British. Urgh, World Cup Surrender. Still fuming.