England’s agonising 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta has sparked significant unrest within Thomas Tuchel’s squad over the team’s tactical approach.
A number of sources have indicated to BBC Sport that a clutch of key players were left disappointed at how the team approached the final stages of the game.
England had been leading 1-0 with 35 minutes remaining and appeared to be on course for their first men’s World Cup final since 1966.
The momentum shift that followed was startling, with England widely criticised for seemingly handing Argentina the initiative during the closing stages.
Tuchel deployed a back-five formation in an attempt to protect the lead, only for Argentina to pile on relentless pressure and overturn the deficit.
BBC Sport is aware of at least three senior players who have complained privately about the team’s approach during those critical closing stages.
There is understood to be a consensus among certain players that Tuchel’s tactical switches and substitutions exacerbated England’s defensive retreat.
Some players believed England should have had greater licence to press the ball, pushing Argentina away from their goal and offering some relief to the defenders.
There is a sense from within the camp that England could have been bolder, not necessarily chasing a second goal but striking a better balance between defending and threatening in attack.
One source was blunt in their assessment, saying simply: “They went too deep too early.”
Tuchel has now addressed those concerns directly, insisting that dropping deeper and deeper was never part of the intended plan.
“I haven’t seen the data yet but I think right after the goal, the momentum swings completely in ball possession, chances and it drops dramatically,” he said.
“We got too passive within our structure. I tried to help, not to become more passive with a back five but to be more active, to be quicker out to the wingers, not to open up the gaps between the back four.”
The German manager added: “We couldn’t find any duels any more which was why we dropped deeper and deeper, which was never the plan but it happened.”
Tuchel also made a striking admission about England’s footballing identity, suggesting the squad lacks the natural instinct to control games through possession.
“It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish DNA or Argentinian or Brazilian DNA to take the ball, control the game and the ball, which is also a big problem,” he said.
Despite his reflections, Tuchel remained confident in the quality at his disposal, insisting: “I still think we can show how good football players we are. I think that is still in us, as I see it in training and in every camp.”
BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney was less forgiving, saying the defeat “started from the manager and the decisions he made.”
Tuchel was appointed with the belief that his tactical acumen could turn England from nearly men into winners, following Gareth Southgate’s run of near-misses across multiple tournaments.
The friction between certain players and their manager presents a fascinating dynamic heading into England’s European Championship qualifying campaign.
Tuchel retains the full backing of Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham, though the FA will conduct a full review of England’s tournament performance after Saturday’s bronze medal match against France.
