Sport
Thomas Tuchel has given himself a long road back to forgiveness as England manager
England might have finished their 2026 World Cup campaign with a thrilling 6-4 win over France in the third-place playoff, but the way Saturday’s match in Miami started was less-than-positive for Thomas Tuchel whose name was booed by many supporters inside Hard Rock Stadium.
Tuchel’s game management in the semi-final defeat to Argentina remains the subject of much debate. The German has been widely blamed for England’s failure to make the World Cup final. Others have a more nuanced view on what unfolded against Lionel Messi and co. but Tuchel’s decisions are difficult to defend.
England retreated more readily than was required against Argentina. The 2022 World Cup winners might have found a way to fight back from 1-0 regardless, but Tuchel’s changes off the bench made it easier for them to gain a foothold in the match. Tuchel insists he has no regrets, but he surely feels differently in private.
The way Tuchel was treated by his own supporters in Saturday’s third-place playoff highlighted the long road to forgiveness he must walk before the start of Euro 2028 when England will play on home soil. The former Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss has some making up to do.
In retrospect, Tuchel’s hiring defied logic from the start. Sir Gareth Southgate departed the job of England manager at a time when there was widespread demand for the Three Lions to adopt a more modern, proactive style of play. Tuchel, however, was never the man for that particular job.
Indeed, England played a generally conservative game at the 2026 World Cup. With the exception of the second half against Croatia when England truly imposed themselves on the opposition, Tuchel’s team played a reactive style of play that culminated in the cowardly performance in the semi-final loss to Argentina.
It should be noted that Tuchel was also hired to get England over the line at a major tournament. Under Southgate, the Three Lions made two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final in 2018, but failed to come up with the game plan to end England’s long wait for a trophy.
At various points of the 2026 World Cup campaign, England demonstrated their stronger mental fortitude. This was certainly clear in the gutsy victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca and the comeback win against DR Congo which sent England on a run to the final four of the competition.
In terms of how England approached their World Cup matches in a tactical sense, though, Tuchel has a lot to prove. Can he really make the most of England’s talent in the midfield unit to add a greater element of control of their play before Euro 2028? Is Tuchel able to alter his natural style of play to suit his players better?
“He’s a big reason why we are here,” said Harry Kane when asked about Tuchel. “He’s a big reason why we claimed our highest finish in 60 years. There are a lot of ‘what ifs?’ after the other night and it’s going to take time to process it. For him as well. Just because he is one of the best coaches in the world, doesn’t mean he is going to get it right every time. The players on the pitch are the same. We all make mistakes and we have to try and improve.”
England certainly have to improve before the next major tournament. The 2026 World Cup campaign could have produced glory. Instead, it served to highlight the progress the Three Lions and their manager must make to prevent Euro 2028 being another case of wasted potential.
