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Tuchel: Defending lead was never England's game plan against Argentina

From ThisDay · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • England's Head Coach Thomas Tuchel stated that defending their one-goal lead against Argentina was never the game plan.
  • Tuchel admitted the team became too passive in the final quarter, struggling to regain possession and momentum.
  • Despite the World Cup semi-final exit, Tuchel retains the backing of the FA chief executive, though criticism persists.

England's World Cup journey ended in disappointment after a 2-1 loss to Argentina, prompting scrutiny of Head Coach Thomas Tuchel's tactics. British media have criticized the German tactician for what they perceived as an overly defensive approach after England took a one-goal lead.

We got too passive within our structure. I tried to help, not to become more passive with a back five but to be more active, to be quicker out to the wingers, not to open up the gaps between the back four.

— Thomas TuchelExplaining England's passive play in the latter stages of the match against Argentina.

However, Tuchel insists that defending was never the intended strategy. "We got too passive within our structure," he told BBC Sports, explaining that the team struggled to win duels and consequently dropped deeper. He aimed for a more active approach within their defensive shape, but the team couldn't execute it. Tuchel also suggested that a lack of ingrained ball-possession DNA, unlike in Spanish, Argentinian, or Brazilian teams, contributed to their struggles.

We couldn’t find any duels any more which was why we dropped deeper and deeper, which was never the plan but it happened.

— Thomas TuchelDescribing the team's inability to compete for possession and its consequences.

Tuchel's substitutions were intended to help regain control of the ball and break Argentina's pressure. He emphasized the crucial role of possession in determining match outcomes. Despite the disappointment, Tuchel believes the team's footballing quality remains, as evidenced in training and team camps. His appointment was meant to elevate England to a winning status, moving beyond the near misses achieved under his predecessor, Gareth Southgate.

We needed to get back on the ball otherwise you cannot break the pressure and you cannot get the momentum back.

— Thomas TuchelJustifying his substitution choices during the match.

The notion that Tuchel erred tactically in the semi-final sets an intriguing dynamic for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers. While Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham publicly supports Tuchel, the coach is undoubtedly aware of the criticism. The FA will conduct its usual review of the team's tournament performance, acknowledging the semi-final run as an achievement but needing to dissect the reasons for their loss to Argentina.

It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish DNA or Argentinian or Brazilian DNA to take the ball, control the game and the ball, which is also a big problem.

— Thomas TuchelDiscussing England's perceived lack of a possession-based footballing culture.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ThisDay in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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