Thomas Tuchel, head coach of the England national football team, defended his tactical decisions following their World Cup exit to Argentina, asserting that the subsequent criticism felt as severe as if the team had been eliminated in the group stage.
Tuchel's remarks came after England secured a third-place finish by defeating France 6-4 in Miami. This achievement marks England's best World Cup result since 1966. The team had previously lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals, a defeat for which Tuchel faced criticism from supporters, former players, and media regarding his in-game tactical changes.
"The press conference yesterday felt as if we went out in group stage without a win, to be very honest," Tuchel told reporters. "Twenty-four hours later we had our biggest success in 60 years. I think the low and the drama about what happened against Argentina was too low."
He added that the best response to such criticism is to perform on the pitch. "The best thing you can do is react on the pitch and get the next win, everything else is just talking. Talking doesn't get you points. Talking doesn't get you wins. So you have to endure it. You have to hold it and be strong and keep believing. I’m glad that we showed that reaction. It’s very impressive."
Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick in the third-place playoff, stated he was fit and ready to play, while not directly criticizing Tuchel for his role in the semi-final. "Of course, I would love to have played more,' Saka told the BBC after the win over France. 'But of course, it's not the time to talk about out that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It's done now. Move on.'"
Tuchel commented on Saka's performance, noting that he did not realize Saka had scored a hat-trick. "Bukayo showed he was a key player, that was never a doubt. I was not even aware he had a hat-trick [against France]. I lost the overview of the goalscorers."
Regarding the semi-final loss, Tuchel accepted responsibility. "Whatever happened in the final 30 minutes against Argentina, why it happened, whatever happened in the last 10 minutes, we were close, but it's my job to take decisions. My decisions, my interventions, my substitutions, the change of structure. It did not have the effect that I wanted, so I have to live with this. It’s very painful for me because I did it in good faith. I did it with a clear plan and a clear idea behind it. It didn't work out so I take the blame and the responsibility."
He expressed belief that the team has built a strong foundation during the World Cup, which should not be overshadowed by the semi-final outcome. "But I strongly believe that we built more in this World Cup than we can lose in these 30 minutes, and me personally for a decision that turns out not to be effective. The pain will stay with me. The scar will stay with me and with the players and no one else."
Tuchel indicated that rebuilding trust with supporters is an ongoing process. "In the end, we need to win the trust on a daily basis in international football. In seven, eight weeks we're back together, it's Nations League. We need to win the trust and build the trust. It's never a given, so this is normal in a high-level sport that you have to prove yourself, you have to prove a point every single time that you compete."
He believes the experience gained from the chaotic second half against France, where England's initial 4-0 lead was reduced, will benefit the team. "This game will help us, for sure,' he said. 'Even if a part of you will never allow you to fully celebrate your bronze medal, I think this is a very important one. I hope the players can be proud in time."
Looking ahead, Tuchel emphasized the need for improvement under pressure. "I said yesterday we want to close this gap (to the top three nations) and that started today. This team has built something very special in the last seven weeks and we will never negotiate on that. I still stand by my words that we need to play better football under pressure. We need to manage games better under pressure. We need to take better decisions under pressure. We need to defend more economically, more disciplined."
He cited instances such as conceding before halftime against Croatia as examples of areas needing improvement. "You remember first half against Croatia, when we scored for 2-1, and we went into a deep, deep block. It was almost a back six, a back seven, and we conceded in the last shot of the half. So these are exact moments where we need to be better and understand how to be better. That’s our job for the next steps."