​England boss Thomas Tuchel says the DNA of English football needs changing if his side are to win major tournaments, and he insists he is “100%” committed to staying in the job. It was the same old story for England as their World Cup bid ended in semi-final heartbreak to Argentina. They were on the cusp of a first final since 1966 when Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute goal put them ahead in Atlanta, but they became passive and allowed the momentum of the game to turn, ultimately losing 2-1 after late strikes from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez. It marks the third time in eight years that England have sat back after taking the lead in a crucial knockout match, following the 2018 World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia and the Euro 2020 final loss to Italy, while they also failed to build on the equaliser against Spain in the Euro 2024 showpiece.
Tuchel, who took over from Sir Gareth Southgate with the explicit brief of delivering major-tournament breakthroughs, was part of England’s surrender, making some early defensive substitutions. Asked whether it is possible to change the English mentality, he replied: “If it happens then it has to be changed. But I’m not sure; I always try to think in football terms, in football matters. I haven’t seen the data yet, but I think right after the goal, momentum swings completely in ball possession, chances, and it drops dramatically. 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 is why we dropped deeper and deeper, which was never the plan but it happened. We needed to get back on the ball otherwise you cannot break the pressure and you cannot get the momentum back. I think ball possession plays a crucial role. 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.”
Tuchel has faced heavy criticism for England’s capitulation, where he replaced the scorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa midway through the second half. The German, who signed a contract through to 2028 ahead of the tournament, has received backing from the Football Association and reiterated his desire to lead England into a home European Championship. “Yes, 100%. There is still enough to improve, and I am more than happy to do that,” he said. “I’ve loved it. I loved every day. I said after the Norway game that I see a disconnect between what I see in training on a football level and what happens in the games; I think we can impose ourselves more for better SEO.”