Thomas Tuchel insists he is committed to leading England into Euro 2028 following their semi-final exit at the World Cup.
England saw their dreams of a first World Cup triumph since 1966 dashed in Atlanta as they let a 1-0 lead slip in a 2-1 defeat to fierce rivals Argentina.
Tuchel received significant criticism for an overly defensive approach after England took the lead through Anthony Gordon 10 minutes into the second half.
There have already been calls in some corners for Tuchel, who signed a contract extension through Euro 2028 prior to the World Cup, to lose his job. However, he and the players received backing from Football Association chief executive Mark Bellingham in the wake of the defeat.
And an early exit from that contract is clearly not on Tuchel’s mind.
Asked if he desired to lead the team over the next two years, the German replied: “Yes. One hundred per cent. There is still enough to improve and I am more than happy to do that. I’ve loved every day of the World Cup.
“I said after the quarter-final win against Norway that I see a disconnect from what I see in training on a football level and within the games. We can impose ourselves more on the ball. We can show what good football players we are.
“That is still in us as I see it in training and in every camp. And here also at the World Cup. I still feel there is an extra level that we need to conquer. We need to step up to the next level to get the big prize.”
Tuchel points to DNA difference after England collapse
England’s efforts to protect their lead against Argentina backfired spectacularly, with Tuchel bearing the blame for a series of defensive substitutions.
Tuchel took off goalscorer Gordon in the 72nd minute and replaced him with right-back Ezri Konsa. Ten minutes later, Reece James was replaced by centre-back Dan Burn, while Declan Rice gave way to Nico O’Reilly, who has played as a left back for the entire tournament but can also operate in midfield and even as a number 10.
At that point, England had six defenders on the pitch. Yet three minutes after that double change, Argentina levelled through Enzo Fernandez’s swerving long-range effort and, with England penned in their own half and lacking the creative players to turn the situation around, they crumbled as Lautaro Martinez headed in a 92nd-minute winner from Lionel Messi’s right-wing cross.
Between Gordon’s opener and Martinez’s winner, England had just 12 per cent of the possession. Though most of the criticism has been aimed at Tuchel, the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich boss pointed to a difference in DNA in English football as a reason for the capitulation.
“We got too passive within our structure,” Tuchel explained. “I tried to help… for us to actually be more active in a back five, to be quicker out to their wingers. We encouraged everyone to step out, to be more active but we just struggled.
“We couldn’t find any duels any more, which was why we dropped deeper and deeper. It was never the plan but it happened. We couldn’t stop the runners from the second line, the midfielders through our gaps. And their deliveries were on the highest level.
“We needed to get back on the ball otherwise you cannot break the pressure and you cannot get the momentum back. We just couldn’t cope with the momentum swing. Ball possession plays a crucial role. It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish DNA or the Argentinian or Brazilian DNA – to take the ball and control the game.
“It’s also not a problem to defend deep. You can stay active. But we struggled. We struggled physically, as well. Through the whole tournament … playing in the heat, playing in the altitude [against Mexico] and with a man down [after Jarell Quansah’s red card]. It cost us a lot in the end. We gave everything but it was not enough.
“My feeling is that no structure in the world could have helped us because we were too passive. We were not physical enough, we didn’t stop runs arriving in our box and the deliveries were then too good.”
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