The feeling is still the same, but this time it's even worse. The England team was eliminated from the World Cup after a 1-2 defeat to Argentina, the scenario is no different from two times falling under Gareth Southgate. They both took the lead, then retreated deep to defend and finally paid the price with defeat. Notably, this performance also reminds of the semi-final defeat to Croatia 8 years ago.
What makes the defeat even more bitter is that England should have learned a lesson from past mistakes. Thomas Tuchel was expected to help the "Three Lions" change that, but he became the focus of criticism because a series of substitution decisions were considered counterproductive.
Ezri Konsa's substitution for Anthony Gordon, the player who just scored the opening goal for England, will certainly be mentioned as one of Tuchel's most controversial decisions. That is the change towards defense when the match is still about 30 minutes left, causing England to lose the threat in counter-attack situations and almost hand over the game to Argentina.
After the match, Tuchel defended his approach and said that the cause of the defeat lies in the DNA of English football.
However, the players themselves also admitted that the team lost control after taking the lead.
After leading 1-0, we seemed to only think about defending the score. At this level, that is not enough" - captain Harry Kane said.
Center-back Marc Guehi also agreed with that view: "We should have continued to attack. But after scoring, the whole team's mentality switched to defense.
The debate about responsibility is taking place fiercely. Many people believe that Tuchel's changes have caused England to lose the game, while others believe that the problem stems from the players' psychology.
The English players have lost strength. They played with very high intensity in the first 60 minutes, then they no longer had enough energy and were forced to retreat deep to defend" - Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez commented.
That is also how Tuchel explained the diễn biến of the match: "Everything started right after we scored. That is the reason why we failed. The players' psychology changed right after the goal, not after substitutions. We suddenly played as if we had too much to lose.
However, this is exactly what Tuchel once declared he would change when accepting to lead the England national team.
After EURO 2024, he once commented: "When watching England play, I feel the tension and pressure weighing heavily on the players. They play with the mentality of just not losing".
However, that very scenario recurred in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
Tactical talent is always the factor that creates Tuchel's reputation. His decisive style will be accepted if he helps England win matches that Southgate has failed in. But all assessments of the German strategist's reign will always revolve around decisions made at the most important moments.
Southgate once admitted that when criticisms appeared fiercely, he understood that his journey with the England team had come to an end. The current atmosphere could also make Tuchel's future unpredictable.
However, the most important thing is the thinking of the players themselves. Do they believe that Tuchel must be held responsible for this defeat, or will they agree with his view that it is the psychology of competition that is the reason why England collapsed once again?
If Tuchel really wants to continue leading England to EURO 2028 to correct his mistakes at home, he will not have many opportunities to prove it before the tournament kicks off. And as always, England still hopes this time the answer will be different.
