Coach Thomas Tuchel once criticized the England team under Gareth Southgate for "lack of desire to win" and "fear of being eliminated rather than determination to win". However, after the defeat to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, the German strategist faced similar criticisms again.
The "Three Lions"' World Cup dream closed when they let Argentina come back and win 2-1. Anthony Gordon opened the score right before the 60th minute, igniting hopes of bringing England to the final. However, from that moment on, Tuchel's team actively retreated deep and continuously reinforced the defense with defensive substitutions.
This tactic was not effective. Argentina took advantage of the game to put pressure on the opponent, before Lionel Messi assisted Enzo Fernandez to equalize and then continued to create opportunities for Lautaro Martinez to score the decisive goal in injury time.
It is noteworthy that Tuchel himself criticized England's approach at EURO 2024. At that time, he said that the team lacked identity, lacked initiative and always had a mentality of fear of failure rather than a desire for victory.
I feel they are more afraid of being eliminated than excited about winning" - Tuchel once commented.
After the defeat against Argentina, those statements became a topic to be mentioned again when many experts said that Tuchel himself chose a too cautious approach. Instead of looking for a second goal to end the match, he continuously brought defenders onto the field to preserve the fragile advantage.
We are very disappointed. The team was very close to victory but too passive after the opening goal, letting the opponent create too many opportunities. We could not control the ball, nor could we stop their crosses or shots" - Tuchel said.
Argentina players themselves also admitted that they felt that change. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said that England retreated too early instead of continuing to put pressure, helping Argentina have more confidence to push up the squad to find an equalizer.
From the time Gordon scored to when Lautaro Martinez sealed the victory, the "Three Lions" only held the ball about 12%, almost unable to organize counter-attacks and constantly under pressure.
In fact, the England team has gone through a not-so-easy journey at the 2026 World Cup. They have overcome difficulties many times thanks to their bravery and fighting spirit, from the comeback against the DRC, the victory against Mexico in a squad shortage to the comeback against Norway. However, Tuchel's team has never maintained stable form throughout the tournament.
The English Football Association has confirmed that Tuchel will continue to lead the team to EURO 2028. The achievement of reaching the World Cup semi-finals is still a commendable result, but the German strategist's biggest task has not changed. That is to help the "Three Lions" overcome psychological barriers and end the major title drought that has lasted for decades.
