Different manager, different set of players, different opposition but the same old outcome. Latter stage tournament heartache has become such a frequent occurrence for the England men’s team that the pain doesn’t even sting in quite the same way it once did. Ultimately, the overriding emotion after defeat to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina was one of a wasted opportunity.
England's collapse after taking the lead
England were fortuitous to have found themselves ahead 10 minutes after the restart, albeit through a well-crafted goal, following a tetchy opening period full of niggle and needle. From a position of strength, faced with a wounded Argentina who were clearly vulnerable on the flanks, England tossed away the initiative and momentum with a flurry of confusingly negative substitutions that can only be described as a complete and utter head-loss.
From the moment Anthony Gordon prodded England into the lead, the Three Lions managed just 12% ball possession, completed seven passes in the opposition half and registered not a single, solitary touch in Argentina’s penalty area. You will struggle to win any game of football at any level posting numbers like that, let alone against the defending world champions who still boast the planet’s greatest ever footballer.
Argentina's relentless quality
For all their unsavoury antics you have to take a moment amid the wreckage of another semi-final exit to marvel at this relentless Argentina side. This is a remarkable group of players who consistently look defeat in the face and laugh, safe in the knowledge that they and Messi will almost inevitably find an answer. Joe Hart came close to perfectly summing up Argentina’s talismanic No.10 up in the aftermath of another virtuoso display by equating him to a skeleton key, only on this occasion he required none of his lock picking expertise given England had left the front door, garage and gate wide open, allowing him to be able to revel in wide open spaces. Indeed, Tuchel’s men retreated so quickly and so deeply they may as well have been dressed in white flags rather than white shirts.
Tuchel's future and lack of alternatives
Quite where this leaves England and their highly-paid manager, who appears to be safe for now, is all of a sudden an extremely pertinent question, even if it’s a decision that should probably wait until heads are calmer and cooler. While his players should shoulder little of the blame, especially given their exploits over the last seven weeks in testing and varied conditions, Tuchel will now feel the full force of a media and fan-led backlash. Despite passing many a tests en route to the last four, failing in a such a familiar fashion, parking an entire depot, let alone a solitary bus, sacking Tuchel should be under consideration.
Having repeated all the in-game managerial crimes Gareth Southgate, Roy Hodgson and Fabio Capello committed in the space of 10 madcap minutes, many are left wondering what the Football Association has been paying for and whether it was worth it. There are no doubt financial considerations to take into account before pulling the trigger but arguably the only reason to persist with Tuchel after such a hapless display of coaching, the main quality he was supposed to bring to the England dugout, is the lack of viable alternatives.
Pep Guardiola, the current favourite, surely doesn’t need the hassle and will no doubt enjoy a period out of the spotlight, while the rest of the potential candidates are either not ready, or inspire little confidence they are capable of adding the missing ingredient. As they have done at every tournament since 2018, England have muscled their way past every team they would have been expected to beat, before losing to the first side that operates at superior technical level. Until England’s bravery is typified by their willingness to attack and take risks, rather than throwing broken bodies in the face of danger, they will at best continue to fall at final hurdles, regardless of the manager’s nationality or salary.
