It already looks impossible for unhappy England players and stubborn Thomas Tuchel to continue together

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caughtoffside

17 July 2026

Some

England

players have reportedly already been complaining about Thomas Tuchel’s tactics in the defeat to

Argentina

, while the manager has blamed their ‘DNA’.

All in all, this points towards a messy result and bad feeling in the

camp, and despite what was at many points a pretty positive

World Cup

that led to a strong run to the semi-finals, it already seems like it might be impossible for Tuchel and

to continue together.

The

Three Lions

suffered a heart-breaking 2-1 defeat against

on Wednesday night, with Anthony Gordon’s goal putting them ahead before a late comeback as Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored for the South American giants.

According to

BBC Sport

, there were “at least three senior players who have complained privately about the team’s approach during the closing stages”.

Despite

players, and indeed

almost everyone watching, sensing that Tuchel was the master of his own downfall

by going so defensive so early on in the game, the German tactician himself has shifted the blame onto the team’s ‘DNA’.

As quoted in the BBC’s report, Tuchel seemed to insist that his tactical approach was simply a necessary response to his players, with comments that are surely not going to go down well.

“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,” the manager 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.

“We encouraged everyone to step out, to be more active within the structure, but we just struggled.

“We couldn’t find any duels any more which was why we dropped deeper and deeper, which was never the plan but it happened.”

He added: “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.”

final will now be contested between Spain and

, both of whom have managers with next to no experience at the top level of club football, but who have grown together with their players due to previously working at youth level with their respective national teams.

England made great progress under previous manager Gareth Southgate, and even if a change looked necessary by the end, it was a similar philosophy that seemed to be paying off for the Football Association before they took a big change of direction.

In hiring Tuchel, the FA clearly wanted a win-now manager

who could help

get over the line in big games like this, but if the manager now looks like the main one to blame, then serious questions have to be asked.

Lee Carsley would surely be England’s equivalent to a Lionel Scaloni or Luis de la Fuente, but let’s see if the key figures at the FA are bold enough to make that call.

One way or another, the fallout from the

defeat looks pretty alarming and surely points towards a broken relationship that can’t continue any further.

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