18/7/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | JULY 18, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

Tuchel under fire ... but England undone by more than manager’s tactics T HOMAS TUCHEL was hailed as ured appraisals. “Fear, mistakes and a rational organisation of the team was lost. In truth the manager fed a negative mindset.” Tuchel, however, felt the issues that led to the defeat and another England World Cup exit were much more fundamental. “We got too passive within our structure. I England’s best chance to win the World Cup but after another fail ure the German has faced a bar rage of criticism in the aftermath of their semifinal defeat by Argentina, though his tactics were not the only reason.

What’s next? Thomas Tuchel faces uncertainty after England’s World Cup semifinal exit to Argentina on Wednesday. – REUTERSPIC

goalkeeper Carl R ushworth, 25, and with fellow Englishman James Trafford, Manchester City’s 23-year-old goal keeper. FULHAM have joined Coventry and Chelsea in looking at Strasbourg and Ivory Coast winger Martial Godo, 23. IP S WICH have made an approach for 22 year-old Leicester and Ghana winger Abdul Fatawu. C R Y S TAL PALACE are interested in signing Augsburg defender Chrislain Matsima, 24, with the Frenchman one of a number of centreback options under consideration. LEED S are continuing with their pursuit of Parma and Japan goalkeeper Zion S uzuki, 23, despite the Italian’s club’s reluctance to let him go. S WAN S EA CITY have joined the race for New Zealand international Elijah Just. Motherwell are asking for a seven-figure sum for the 26-year-old. PO R T S MOUTH have stepped up their interest in Plymouth Argyle’s English for ward B im Pepple, 23, while the Pilgrims’ S wiss striker Lorent Tolaj, 24, looks bound for B ristol City. B LACK B U R N R OVE RS have rejected sev eral six-figure offers for Irish defender Connor O’Riordan but would be willing to part with the 22-year-old if their valuation is met. Lionel Scaloni’s side breezed through the group phase but the knockout rounds brought a frantic chaos that has galvanised a team looking to become the first to retain the title since Brazil in 1962. Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the limit while three late goals were required to resurrect their campaign against an unfortunate Egypt in the last 16 and extra time was needed against 10-man Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Those results were a warning to England that Scaloni’s players never give up. Messi was central to those performances, as he was against a retreating England team who attempted only two passes in the opposition half from the 72nd to the 92nd minute compared to 111 by Argentina. The key challenge for England was always trying to control the uncontrollable in the shape of the Argentina great, who continues to drive his team towards a second consecutive title. “What happens with Leo,” Messi’s former Barcelona team mate Thierry Henry told FOX . “Sometimes … don’t wake up the beast. “I’ve seen him in training … when the coach doesn’t call a foul, the coach was like ‘stop complaining’ when the ball went out. “Then you look in his eyes and he switches. He goes and gets the ball and scores three goals in a row by robbing the ball off you. Next time, call a foul! “He’s just unstoppable when he goes into that mood. “When his team needs him, he raises his game, a guy who played 120 minutes the other day, gets the ball and tries to dribble past every body … wow.” England, like Cape Verde and Egypt before them, poked the Argentine magician and paid the price as Messi shifted to the right flank to avoid a packed rearguard and delivered assists for late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez. Henry, who had front row seats for three sea sons at Barca to witness Messi’s brilliance, summed up his former teammate perfectly: “This guy writes history with his feet.” – Reuters/The Independent

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 was 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,” he said. “I think ball possession plays a crucial role; it’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in our Spanish DNA or in our Argentinian-Brazilian DNA, to take the ball and control the game with the ball, which is also a big problem.” Despite his vast experience and success in the club game, including leading Chelsea to the Champions League title, Tuchel was coaching at his first major international tournament. With his team’s run to the semifinals, Tuchel at least matched Southgate’s achievement from 2018 and the former Bayern Munich boss will have no doubt learnt major lessons from his first exposure to the unique environment of tourna ment play. Didier Deschamps, who has led France dur ing more than a decade of success, was in charge for six years before he steered Les Bleus to the 2018 World Cup title, following that up with a runners-up finish four years later. His World Cup-winning predecessor, Aime Jacquet, needed five years to hone his 1998 title winning team. The criticism of Tuchel, who signed a two year extension to his contract in February, also belies the determination of Argentina, and 39 year-old Messi in particular, to keep their own World Cup dream – and a shot at history – alive.

What the armchair experts forget is that on Wednesday England were facing the defending champions, still being inspired by the world’s greatest player Lionel Messi. FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham heralded Tuchel’s appointment as Gareth Southgate’s long term replacement as an opportunity for England to build on previous near misses. “Our aim is always to win a major tournament and we believe Thomas gives us the best possible chance to do that at the next men’s World Cup,” Bullingham said at Tuchel’s unveiling in October 2024. A serial winner at club level, the former Chelsea boss stepped into the role the following January declaring he would “try to get a second star on our shirt” as the English sought to repeat their World Cup-winning feat from 1966. That mission unravelled in the dying minutes against Argentina with Tuchel’s defensive switch after Anthony Gordon’s opener leading to defeat and a vitri olic critical backlash. “In the fog of war, reality was lost,” former West Ham United and Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew said on talkSPORT in one of the more meas P l Al P d id T 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 and need to step up to the next level to get the big prize.” Tuchel must now contend with the thankless prospect of facing France in the third-place playoff in Miami tomor row. The German coach believes a signifi cant factor behind England’s late fadea way was the number of players who arrived for international duty carrying knocks following a gruelling club sea son. Tuchel added: “As always you need a bit of time to digest, to reflect and to analyse. It just takes time and you have to bounce back. “That is what sport demands. High level sports demands that of us. That’s basically the next step. “We struggled physically as well, through the whole tournament playing in the heat, playing in the altitude, play ing with a man down and so on. It cost us a lot in the end. We gave everything but it was not enough.” – Express Newspapers

TOUCHLINES

England manager will stay on after World Cup heartache THOMAS TUCHEL has declared he is “100 percent” still the right man to take England football team forward despite the misery of defeat to Argentina. the ball. I still think we can show how good football players we are. “I think that is still in us, as I see it in

CA R DIFF CITY are advancing in negotia tions with Tromso for midfielder Jens Hjerto ahl after their £5.5m (RM30m) bid was rejected. A RS ENAL are eyeing midfielder Axel Donczew after the Welsh teenager became the B luebirds’ youngest first team debutant aged 15 last season. INTE R MILAN are working on deals for Tottenham’s England defender Djed Spence, 25, and Argentina centreback Cristian Romero, 28. LIVE R POOL are leading the race to sign Japan midfielder Kaishu S ano from Mainz and are prepared to offer up to £50.9m ( R M280m) for the 25-year-old, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal, Tottenham and B orussia Dortmund. A RS ENAL have expressed an interested in Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa, 28. LIVE R POOL have asked B ournemouth about 19-year-old winger R ayan as they aim to reunite the B razilian with former head coach Andoni Iraola. C R Y S TAL PALACE and Argentina goal keeper Walter Benitez, 33, could terminate his palace contract in order to return to Nice. NEWCA S TLE are in talks with B righton

Tuchel has two years remaining on his £5million-a-year contract with the Football Association but suddenly finds himself under pressure following England’s World Cup semifinal loss. The England boss oversaw an impressive run to the last four, but his side squandered a golden opportunity to reach the final for the first time in 60 years. Critics blasted Tuchel’s substitutions, claiming his overly cautious tactics handed Argentina the initiative. The FA still have full faith in Tuchel and have no plans to sack the German. When pressed on whether he remains the right person to steer England towards Euro 2028, which the country will co-host with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, Tuchel responded: “Yes, 100 per cent. There is still enough to improve, and I am more than happy to do that. “I’ve loved it here. I loved every day. I said after the Norway game that I see a disconnect from what I see in training on a football level and within the games I think we can impose ourselves more on