2026 World Cup

[Charly]

Its only a **** tactical decision if it does not work. We looked the better team first half when we actually went at them. They concede goals, and its happened a number of times.Siting back suited them more than us.

[Exiled_red]

I have a lot of sympathy with your view, but the part that I find hard is "if he had tried to keep going at Argentina and they had been torn open" - "and" is doing a lot of work there - England weren't being torn open before they went 1-0 up. Ok, they weren't dominating either, but the point is they should have kept trying to play the same way. Inevitably the game would have become more open which increases chances for both sides, but what Tuchel settled for was the probability that only one side would get chances after England went 1-0 up. And lo and behold.. ultimately, whether they would have been torn apart or not is beside the point - of course he would get criticised, but at least they would have had a chance - Tuchel's tactics gave England almost no chance for two reasons - 1) trying to defend against a quality team for half an hour is obviously going to be difficult and 2) should they get a goal, it's very difficult to come back once defensive subs have been made. So I do get your point and I very much doubt England would beat Spain, but this defeat was a tactical error, not a problem with the players. England had just got away with it in previous games. Tuchel does need to own it.

That's a fair point, and obviously we will never know. But they had played 15 mins after the goal before he made the change to a back 5 and the situation was much the same - Argentina were dominating and England barely got the ball. Obviously we know that what they did didn't work so you can say confidently it was the wrong thing but we will never know what the right thing to do was. For me England's two main players (Kane and Bellingham) were awful last night and it would have made sense to sub one or both off and have kept or brought on some pace to give a threat/outball (Gordon, Saka, Rashford), but England are a moments team, you take one or both of those off and people complain you need your best players on the pitch... Again it's a no win situation. The problem for me is that Argentina were the better team, they had the better players that had experience on their side, no surprise whatsoever in the outcome for me. Also I'm not convinced that it was all down to Tuchel I think that there is probably a mentality amongst many of the players that is ingrained in them from their club football that you go ahead in a big game and you revert to a low block, in the international setup you have to get that mentality out of them.

[ChesterDave]

Just seen the video of that Argentina player that Bellingham slapped.

All the team mates run off to celebrate together apart from pin-dick bantz boy who is more interested in running around the England players. Should of punched him, never mind slapped

[SB]

That 3 v 4 playoff is the worst concept ever.

Let them go on their holidays.

Totally agree mate. Run a poll $ see if anyone can tell you who came 3rd at any WC in recent memory & I’ll buy them a beer. Total waste of time

[BG1973]

The teams were pretty even when both going toe to toe.

Unless during that phase at 0-0 it was all just Argentina looking to get someone sent off so happy to play that game..(they were bloody awful and the ref allowed it) and only once down a goal did they decide to play and pin us in... if it was.that then yes they were definitely the better team... but if england let them pin us in by design then no not the better team... Just dumb tactics. Given the first english subs then think it was the latter..

Old enough not to give a **** about England but feel for those that do as that is a terrible way to go out...

Spain would have battered England though.. hopefuly they do the same.to argentina.

[bacon]

I have a lot of sympathy with your view, but the part that I find hard is "if he had tried to keep going at Argentina and they had been torn open" - "and" is doing a lot of work there - England weren't being torn open before they went 1-0 up. Ok, they weren't dominating either, but the point is they should have kept trying to play the same way. Inevitably the game would have become more open which increases chances for both sides, but what Tuchel settled for was the probability that only one side would get chances after England went 1-0 up. And lo and behold.. ultimately, whether they would have been torn apart or not is beside the point - of course he would get criticised, but at least they would have had a chance - Tuchel's tactics gave England almost no chance for two reasons - 1) trying to defend against a quality team for half an hour is obviously going to be difficult and 2) should they get a goal, it's very difficult to come back once defensive subs have been made. So I do get your point and I very much doubt England would beat Spain, but this defeat was a tactical error, not a problem with the players. England had just got away with it in previous games. Tuchel does need to own it.

Was't it simply the better team won ??

[Tatterdemalion]

Let's be honest as England manager you can't win, everyone is bitching about how defensive they were, if he had tried to keep going at Argentina and they had been torn open people would have been complaining they should have tried to defend their lead.

England are the 4th best team in the world and they made the semi finals of the world cup, that's par that's where expectations should be. To be honest I am amazed that this team is ranked 4th in the world, there are only really 2 or maybe 3 world class players (and they didn't really turn up today...)

For me they played at their level and aren't good enough to be in the final, they didn't disgrace themselves thatvwas just their level.

The inevitable criticism and we should have won stuff that will follow is why i can't be arsed woth England

I have a lot of sympathy with your view, but the part that I find hard is "if he had tried to keep going at Argentina and they had been torn open" - "and" is doing a lot of work there - England weren't being torn open before they went 1-0 up. Ok, they weren't dominating either, but the point is they should have kept trying to play the same way. Inevitably the game would have become more open which increases chances for both sides, but what Tuchel settled for was the probability that only one side would get chances after England went 1-0 up. And lo and behold.. ultimately, whether they would have been torn apart or not is beside the point - of course he would get criticised, but at least they would have had a chance - Tuchel's tactics gave England almost no chance for two reasons - 1) trying to defend against a quality team for half an hour is obviously going to be difficult and 2) should they get a goal, it's very difficult to come back once defensive subs have been made. So I do get your point and I very much doubt England would beat Spain, but this defeat was a tactical error, not a problem with the players. England had just got away with it in previous games. Tuchel does need to own it.

[Daniel 7]

England played like Scotland when it mattered. ****e!

[Buzzo]

That 3 v 4 playoff is the worst concept ever.

Let them go on their holidays.

[SB]

3rd & 4th playoff against France is more than most fans would have thought possible before the tournament started surely.

[peterbread]

Let's be honest as England manager you can't win, everyone is bitching about how defensive they were, if he had tried to keep going at Argentina and they had been torn open people would have been complaining they should have tried to defend their lead.

England are the 4th best team in the world and they made the semi finals of the world cup, that's par that's where expectations should be. To be honest I am amazed that this team is ranked 4th in the world, there are only really 2 or maybe 3 world class players (and they didn't really turn up today...)

For me they played at their level and aren't good enough to be in the final, they didn't disgrace themselves thatvwas just their level.

The inevitable criticism and we should have won stuff that will follow is why i can't be arsed woth England

I think the mistake he made was not siting back but taking off players who could get them up the pitch for a quick counter. You can have a more balanced approach to it. What was it 6 defenders at the end trying to hold on. You can sit back and be defensive and solid with attacking players on the pitch so you still offer a threat. Just because they are attackers doesn’t mean they can’t contribute defensively. Gordon seems like the prime example, he’d work no stop defensively and his pace on the counter to get them out of danger would have been useful or replace him with someone who offers similar.

[Buzzo]

That had been coming. Sat back too much. Subs were defensive, so if it goes to ET they don’t have enough creativity.

100%

Took Rice off who was so crucial to any they were doing and they shipped a goal within 120 seconds.

Needed a better tactic than 10 behind the ball after going 1 up.

[Exiled_red]

Let's be honest as England manager you can't win, everyone is bitching about how defensive they were, if he had tried to keep going at Argentina and they had been torn open people would have been complaining they should have tried to defend their lead.

England are the 4th best team in the world and they made the semi finals of the world cup, that's par that's where expectations should be. To be honest I am amazed that this team is ranked 4th in the world, there are only really 2 or maybe 3 world class players (and they didn't really turn up today...)

For me they played at their level and aren't good enough to be in the final, they didn't disgrace themselves thatvwas just their level.

The inevitable criticism and we should have won stuff that will follow is why i can't be arsed woth England

[BG1973]

100% and rightly so. Other than being robbed, that is the worst way to go down.

[danperkins]

Tommy is going to get torn to shreds, he absolutely ****ed that for England. Best team won on the night too.