Paul Scholes has suggested that Kobbie Mainoo and several other England players will be 'fuming' with manager Thomas Tuchel following the team's World Cup campaign. England exited the tournament at the semi-final stage after a 2-1 defeat to Argentina, having taken an early lead through Anthony Gordon but then adopting an ultra-defensive approach that backfired.
Tuchel's Tactics Under Fire
Tuchel has faced intense criticism for his cautious tactics and substitutions, with some pundits and fans calling for his resignation. The German manager's decision to leave Bukayo Saka on the bench against Argentina, only for the Arsenal forward to score a hat-trick in the bronze-medal match against France, has been a particularly divisive topic. Additionally, Mainoo, the Manchester United midfielder, did not play a single minute during the tournament. Tuchel claimed Mainoo was unavailable for the bronze-medal match due to a back injury.
Scholes Questions Mainoo's Absence
Speaking on his podcast 'The Good, The Bad & The Football' with Nicky Butt, Scholes expressed doubt about Tuchel's explanation. 'He can pull a fast one but I don't expect Kobbie Mainoo to do that because he'll want to play football,' Scholes said. 'I think there will be a few players fuming with the manager. Now look, it happens all the time, even when there's a squad of 22, there's going to be players who go to a World Cup who don't get involved, but there's a way of doing it. Sometimes, you can half understand if your team's doing alright but it was crying out for a player who can take the ball, control the game of football and he [Mainoo] wasn't even given a sniff.'
Butt Warns of Dressing Room Discontent
Butt, a former Manchester United and England midfielder, agreed with Scholes, suggesting that Tuchel may have lost the support of several players. 'I tell you something, he would have lost a lot of players in that dressing room,' Butt said. 'I'm looking at it from my point of view in the dressing room. If I'd have been treated like some of those players, and I mean good players, you'd be thinking, "I don't want to play… I love my country, I want to play for my country every moment I get, it's the proudest moment of my life playing for my country. However, I don't want to play for him", and a few players will be saying that, I guarantee you.'
Scholes Criticises Team Spirit and Tuchel's Comments
Scholes also raised concerns about a 'selfishness' problem within the England squad, comparing them unfavourably to Spain's team ethos. 'Let's compare our players to Spain, I think we've got better players,' Scholes said. 'It might sound f***ing stupid, that, but I think we've got better players than Spain individually. But our biggest issue, and this isn't just an issue for this World Cup… even when we were playing, it's not a team. Everybody is too concerned about their own performance. We've got some brilliantly talented footballers but very selfish.'
Despite expressing admiration for Tuchel, Scholes criticised the manager's post-match comments, particularly his remark that 'it's not in the English DNA'. 'You're part of that DNA now, Thomas,' Scholes said. 'He's gone on the defensive and he's blamed players a lot. That's something our manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] would never do. He [Ferguson] would blame us behind closed doors, of course he would, on training grounds and in meetings, but never in public. But I think Thomas Tuchel has a bit of a history of this at football clubs, he blames players all the time and falls out with sporting directors. You're just wondering, with the way he's been speaking, does he want to get sacked? Sometimes they've got a way around doing it.'
FA Backs Tuchel Despite Calls for Dismissal
Despite the criticism, the Football Association reportedly plans to keep faith with Tuchel, who signed a two-year contract extension in February that runs through to Euro 2028. The German manager previously led Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich.
