England’s players used a “full and frank” meeting with Thomas Tuchel to challenge the way their World Cup ended, with captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham among the strongest voices in a review of July’s 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina.
The discussion, reported by BBC Sport on Monday, took place at the start of the September international break. England had led in Atlanta through Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute goal, but Enzo Fernandez equalised with five minutes left and Lautaro Martinez headed a stoppage-time winner, both goals set up by Lionel Messi.
Kane is understood to have been strong and forthright. Bellingham is said to have been particularly candid in arguing that this group of England players were more than capable of continuing to take the game to Argentina. A number of senior players had misgivings about Tuchel’s instructions for the closing stages, believing the approach was too negative and defensive.
Tuchel is understood to have pointed to the quality of the opposition as a key factor in the two late goals.
The 37 minutes behind the argument
The players’ complaint centres on what happened between Gordon’s goal and Martinez’s winner. Tuchel replaced the scorer with defender Ezri Konsa, then took off Declan Rice and Reece James for Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly as England moved to a back five. According to Sky Sports, they averaged just 12 per cent possession from Gordon’s opener until the winner.
Argentina hit the post twice and Jordan Pickford saved a Nico Gonzalez header before the pressure told. Messi found Fernandez on the edge of the area for the equaliser, then crossed for Martinez, a substitute, in the second minute of stoppage time.
Tuchel explained the switch publicly after the game, saying the gaps had been far too open and that Argentina were winning headers and crossing repeatedly. He also acknowledged that England had become too passive after scoring, which leaves the dispute narrower than it first appears. Manager and players agree that England retreated. They differ on whether that was the necessary response to Argentina’s pressure or the cause of it.
There is a strongly held view within the squad that England were superior to Argentina man for man, a belief sharpened by the sight of 38-year-old Nicolas Otamendi on the field for the closing 18 minutes. To those players, a side with that much attacking talent should have been looking for a second goal, not protecting a first.
A familiar way to lose
The anger has a history behind it. This was England’s third World Cup semi-final defeat, after 1990 and 2018, and it denied them a first final since 1966. In Moscow eight years ago they scored early against Croatia and lost 2-1 in extra time. In the Euro 2020 final they led Italy inside two minutes, were pegged back and lost on penalties.
Those near misses came under Gareth Southgate, whose caution was the most persistent charge against him. Tuchel was appointed to take England the last step, and the criticism from his own dressing room is that, with a final 35 minutes away, his side fell back on an old habit.
That senior players raised the point directly with him is significant in its own right. Bellingham’s contribution will draw particular attention, with many believing the Real Madrid midfielder will become captain once Kane is no longer in the picture. His relationship with Tuchel has not always been smooth, as the head coach admitted last week. “It was a bit of an up and down [relationship] of course but we are in a good place,” Tuchel said. “I love to be his coach. He’s a top player, a very influential player and I think it goes both ways.”
Spain and Croatia offer the next test
The early evidence is that the meeting has not damaged the group. England lost their first Nations League match after the review, then won three in a row by an aggregate of 12-0:
- England 2-3 Spain, Wembley, 26 September
- Czech Republic 0-2 England, 29 September
- Croatia 0-7 England, Rijeka, 3 October
- England 3-0 Czech Republic, 6 October
Croatia visit Wembley on Thursday, and avoiding defeat will secure a place in next March’s quarter-finals. Kane, level with Peter Shilton on 125 caps, can become England’s most-capped men’s player in that match. England then travel to Madrid on Sunday to face Spain, the world champions and the only side to have beaten them since the summer.
That trip may tell the players more than any meeting could. Spain have already scored three against Tuchel’s team this autumn, and any England lead in Madrid would raise the question asked in Atlanta. Tuchel, whose contract runs until 2028, has heard what his senior players think of the answer he gave in July.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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