Thomas Tuchel got it wrong, but England’s biggest problem is the noise around them
England don’t just play against 11 men. At every major tournament, they also struggle with the noise they create around them.
Thomas Tuchel’s tactical retreat against Argentina undoubtedly contributed to this England’s World Cup semi-final defeat. Sitting at the back after Anthony Gordon’s opener handed the initiative to Lionel Messi and co. and the defending champions punished them. Tuchel deserves criticism for this decision.
But the reaction that followed revealed something far more familiar than another managerial error. England’s biggest rivals are often the conversation around the national team. Before there is time to analyze what actually happened, the blame game begins. Ex-players become headline-makers, TV debates become social media topics, and attention shifts away from football. It’s a cycle England have repeated for decades and one that could prove as damaging as anything that happens on the pitch.
WHEN THE STORY CHANGES
The No sooner had the final whistle blown than the blame game began. On TalkSport, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has already called for Tuchel to be sacked. Post-elimination criticism is part of football, but the speed with which England have gone from disappointment to condemnation remains remarkable. There is rarely time for reflection. The verdict is immediate.
More telling, however, was what happened on the other side.
Cristian Romero has just helped Argentina reach another World Cup final, but one of his first points wasn’t England’s tactics or Lionel Messi’s brilliance. It was Gary Neville. The former England defender questioned Romero’s defense ahead of the semi-final. After the fight, Romero hit back, saying he hoped he had “never been that stupid.”
Neville was entitled to his opinion. That is the task of every expert. But the episode highlighted a recurring problem in English football. Former internationals often become part of the narrative before the national team even crosses the white line. Their comments make headlines, those headlines trickle down to the opposition and suddenly England find themselves answering questions they never asked.
Did Neville’s comments decide the semi-final? Of course not. Argentina won because they were better when the game called for it. But elite athletes look for every possible source of motivation, no matter how small. Romero’s response showed that the former England players had inadvertently given Argentina another talking point, another perceived slight and another opportunity to rally around a common cause.
LESSONS LEARNED
England was already here.
The so-called golden generation was expected to dominate world football. David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes made up one of the best collections of footballers assembled by any nation. They were supposed to fight for the world championship. Instead, they have become synonymous with unfulfilled potential.
The players themselves explained why years later.
Rio Ferdinand has admitted he was so obsessed with winning for Manchester United that he never really opened up to the Chelsea players in the England dressing room for fear word would get back to their Premier League rivals. Frank Lampard acknowledged that club loyalty “may have held England back” and admitted that players naturally gravitated towards familiar faces during international camps. Steven Gerrard perhaps summed it up best when he reflected on that time when he said: “We weren’t a team.” Rio Ferdinand has previously spoken out about England’s dressing room culture during his playing days. (Image: Screengrab/@SkyFootball)
Those admissions matter because they came from the players themselves. England’s biggest obstacle has often been the environment surrounding the national side rather than a lack of talent. Club rivalries, inflated expectations and relentless scrutiny have repeatedly overshadowed football. Two decades on, England are blessed with another hugely talented generation, but the conversation around the team often threatens to become bigger than the team itself.
THE LESSON OF ARGENTINA
Argentina was not always like this. For a lot of Lionel Messi’s international career, every victory belonged to the team, but every defeat belonged to him. He was criticized after losing the 2014 World Cup final, blamed for back-to-back Copa America defeats and even briefly retired from international football in 2016 after another heartbreaking loss to Chile. For years, Argentina expected Messi to solve every problem on his own.
What changed was not Messi. It was all around him.
Under Lionel Scaloni, Argentina stopped seeing Messi as a one-man solution and started building a team around him. He remained the captain, the leader and the player every opponent feared the most, but he no longer carried the burden alone. Rodrigo De Paul has become his fiercest ally, Emiliano Martinez has brought personality and belief, Nicolas Otamendi has set the standard in defence, while Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez have always provided Argentina with match-winners apart from their captain.
Messi still decides matches. His two assists against England they were another reminder that he is still capable of making decisions on the biggest occasions. The difference is that Argentina is no longer dependent on him. When the team needs intensity, De Paul provides it. When leadership is required, Otamendi steps up. When they need goals, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez deliver. The responsibility is shared and so is the pressure.
This collective mentality has become Argentina’s greatest strength. The spotlight inevitably follows Messi, but inside the dressing room, the burden is spread across the team. A team protects its captain as much as its captain inspires the team.
Meanwhile, England continue to battle battles that often have little to do with football. Watching every tournament, every managerial decision and every perceived failure creates an environment where the conversation regularly becomes bigger than the performance itself.
WILL TUCHEL SOLVE THE BURNING PROBLEM?
Tuchel has earned criticism for his tactical retreat against Argentina. He got the decision wrong and England’s World Cup dream ended because of it. But replacing another manager won’t solve a problem that’s been going on for decades.
Let’s not forget that Tuchel only took charge of England in January 2025. Expecting them to host the World Cup in just over a year ignores the reality of international football. Heck, even Carlo Ancelotti, arguably the best manager of this generation, couldn’t immediately transform a star-studded Brazilian side into world champions. So why should Tuchel be judged by a different standard?
The German has shown enough in this short period to suggest he is building something. England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and after long games against Argentina looked capable of reaching the final. That doesn’t excuse the tactical errors that cost them in the end, but it should provide perspective. Thomas Tuchel has still done far more rights than wrongs. (Image: Reuters)
More importantly, Tuchel needs time and patience to implement his ideas, establish his culture and shape this England team in his image. If the response to every failure is to tear everything down and start over, England will remain trapped in the same cycle it has been through for decades.
England continue to produce exceptional footballers. What they’ve tried to create is the kind of environment that allows these footballers to thrive together. Argentina eventually discovered that even the greatest player in the world cannot win alone. England are still looking for the same lesson.
And until they learn that, football may never come home.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
16 Jul 2026 15:02 IST