World Cup 2026: England’s loss to Argentina most painful since 1966 – Phil McNulty

Once Gordon put England ahead in this latest stormy episode of an old and bitter rivalry, Tuchel decided on a rearguard action.

That had worked for England in their knockout wins over Mexico and Norway – but it would not against a Messi-inspired Argentina.

Tuchel replaced goalscorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa with 18 minutes left and switched to a back five. He then brought Nico O’Reilly and Dan Burn on for Declan Rice and Reece James.

It was clear almost instantly that Tuchel had called it badly. It did nothing but invite Argentine pressure and those late goals. This one was almost all on Tuchel.

If there was one statistic that brutally condemned his approach, it was that England only had 12% possession between taking the lead and Martinez’s winning goal nearly 40 minutes later.

Such was England’s sudden attacking need in the closing moments that Tuchel threw on Ivan Toney after 96 minutes – his first appearance of the tournament.

Toney’s “blink and you’ll miss it” cap also brought some of Tuchel’s selections under scrutiny. Was Toney simply picked for a penalty shootout that never came?

And the debate around Tuchel’s defensive picks, especially at right-back, will continue to rage.

Tuchel gambled on the injury-prone Reece James staying fit – but when the Chelsea defender was sidelined with a hamstring issue, right-back suddenly became a problem position.

The position turned into musical chairs between Jarell Quansah – injured against Panama then sent off against Mexico – Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa before James was back for the semi-final.

All this while Trent Alexander-Arnold watched from afar, his natural gifts ignored by Tuchel on the basis of defensive frailty.

And as the ashes are raked over, Tuchel’s decision to ignore the creativity of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden – easy to say with hindsight given both had poor seasons with Chelsea and Manchester City – and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White will be revisited.

Jordan Henderson, whose tournament ended in bizarre circumstances when he broke an arm amid the celebrations after the win against Mexico, was taken for his influence around the squad but was never going to be a serious on-field performer.

If Tuchel valued his professionalism and personality so much in this area, why not take Henderson on his backroom staff and open up a place for a younger, more creative player?

This was a desperate day for England – and Tuchel and his tactical approach.

A day when it could easily have been said, as the song goes: “Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.”