Gary Lineker has delivered a scathing assessment of Thomas Tuchel’s tactics after England surrendered a late lead and crashed out of the World Cup against Argentina.
Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute of Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta, converting Morgan Rogers’ delivery and moving the Three Lions within touching distance of their first men’s World Cup final since 1966.
Tuchel responded to Argentina’s growing pressure by introducing three defenders. Gordon was replaced by Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute, while Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly entered ten minutes later as England moved to a back five.
The attempt to protect the lead ended disastrously. Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez headed home Lionel Messi’s cross two minutes into stoppage time, completing Argentina’s 2-1 comeback.
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Lineker stunned by England’s Messi plan
Lineker was particularly baffled by England’s decision to defend deep without assigning a player to close down Messi.
The Argentina captain repeatedly drifted towards the right side of the pitch, where he was given the time and space to deliver crosses into England’s increasingly crowded penalty area.
“I found it absolutely unfathomable that, if your tactic is to sit everyone deep, you do that against the greatest player ever to play football,” Lineker said, according to Harry Latham-Coyle’s report for The Independent.
“I think he’s just cementing that game after game after game. Most goals in the World Cup, most assists in the World Cup. And he moves to the right, yeah, and you play a back five, and you still don’t go and get tight to him.
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“Just put someone on him. He had so much space. He just whipped ball after ball after ball into the box.”
The criticism went beyond England’s decision to add another defender. Lineker’s central argument was that the formation offered little protection when the player capable of exploiting it was allowed to operate without immediate pressure.
Messi eventually punished that failure. His precise cross found Martínez between England’s defenders, and the Inter striker powered a header beyond Jordan Pickford to send Argentina into the final against Spain.
Defensive changes remove England’s escape route
England had caused Argentina problems before Gordon’s goal by pressing higher and attacking quickly when possession changed hands.
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That threat gradually disappeared once Tuchel began reinforcing his defence.
Removing Gordon deprived England of one of their quickest attacking outlets, while Harry Kane became increasingly isolated. Argentina’s defenders were able to move higher up the pitch with little fear of being punished on the counterattack.
Micah Richards agreed that Tuchel’s changes left England with no way to relieve the pressure.
“Today he got it wrong,” Richards said during The Rest Is Football. “And he has to accept that. They were too deep. As soon as we scored that goal, we had no outlet.
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“We’re looking at Kane, we’re looking for energy, Kane was absolutely knackered in the game. It was crying out for Ollie Watkins, someone who could run in behind, get us up the pitch. This one is on the manager.”
Argentina struck the woodwork twice during their late siege before Fernández finally found the equaliser. England were unable to retain possession, win second balls or prevent Messi and his teammates from repeatedly delivering into the area.
Tuchel explains controversial switch
Tuchel accepted responsibility for the substitutions but argued that England had already become passive before he changed the formation.
The manager said Argentina were finding too much space between England’s defenders and winning the aerial duels when crosses arrived.
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“We conceded straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open,” Tuchel said, as quoted in Tashan Deniran-Alleyne’s report for The Standard.
“They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing so we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air.
“Straight after our goal, without any substitutions, we conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances so we tried to help.
“Of course, the responsibility is on the coach and if it doesn’t go well, it is easy to say it was wrong.”
Tuchel maintained that the underlying problem was England’s inability to play their way out of pressure rather than the number of defenders on the pitch.
“We stayed in our 4-4-2 but we became passive, we couldn’t win any balls. So I think it was not a structure problem,” he said in England Football’s account of his post-match reaction.
England accused of repeating old mistake
The defeat revived uncomfortable memories of previous England collapses in major tournaments.
England also scored first before losing their 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia. They then surrendered control after taking an early lead against Italy in the Euro 2020 final, eventually losing on penalties.
Tuchel was appointed partly because of his reputation as a tactically sophisticated knockout specialist who could help England overcome those decisive moments.
Instead, his first tournament ended with the team retreating around its own penalty area and attempting to survive against the defending world champions.
Lineker’s criticism was therefore about more than one substitution or one goal. England had placed themselves in a winning position, then adopted an approach that allowed Messi to dictate the closing stages.
Tuchel tried to build a defensive wall around England’s lead. Argentina simply moved the ball to the greatest creator on the pitch and allowed him to tear it down.
