England players 'shocked' by Thomas Tuchel tactics during 2026 FIFA World Cup defeat to Argentina, Gareth Southgate could land USA job - Paper Round
Updated 17/07/2026 at 09:13 GMT+1
React to this story
England players were "shocked" by Thomas Tuchel's substitutions during England's 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, claims the Telegraph, despite the manager insisting he had "no regrets" about his decisions.
Tuchel: I am responsible for the decisions and I take the criticism
Video credit: SNTV
The England boss has faced criticism for his tactics after bringing on three defenders with England leading through Anthony Gordon’s goal, before Argentina scored twice late on to make Sunday's final.
On Thursday, fresh quotes from Tuchel surfaced, blaming the "DNA" in England for the failure to control the ball.
"England players were shocked by Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup retreat that resulted in his team being dumped out of the tournament by Argentina," writes the Telegraph.
"England head coach Tuchel insisted he had 'no regrets' after the game, but that was not a sentiment shared by all the players who saw their World Cup hopes go up in smoke.
"Telegraph Sport understands that Tuchel’s approach and his defensive changes - sending on Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly to try to see out a 1-0 win - surprised some England players.
"There was belief within the squad that Argentina were there for the taking once Gordon put England ahead and that Lionel Scaloni’s men could have been hit on the counter-attack with the introduction of more pace.
"Bukayo Saka, Ollie Watkins and Noni Madueke were all left on the bench and there was surprise that it took Tuchel until four minutes after Argentina had gone ahead to finally throw on Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney.
"There is also a sense that England paid for Tuchel replacing Declan Rice with a defender, rather than a midfielder, as Enzo Fernandez scored from exactly the position in which Rice or another defensive midfielder would have been expected to occupy."
Southgate could replace Pochettino
Former England manager Gareth Southgate could replace Mauricio Pochettino as the USA boss.
Pochettino's future is in doubt after the co-hosts crashed out of the tournament with a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16, with his contract due to expire at the end of the tournament.
"Southgate is being tipped to make a return to the international scene and take over as USA head coach," writes The Sun.
"It comes as the future of current head coach Pochettino hangs in serious doubt.
"He was linked with a move to AC Milan ahead of the World Cup.
"Should Pochettino still depart, ESPN believes that Southgate could be their next best move.
"Since he resigned from the England post after Euro 2024, Southgate has kept a low profile and focused on other opportunities.
"He currently serves as a UEFA technical observer and also lectures at Harvard Business School."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/16/image-08c1326d-2075-4b99-a04e-9bfe63ee7b74-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
England second-half struggles 'a similar story' to previous tournaments - Kane
Video credit: SNTV
Olise wants Real move
Michael Olise wants to join Real Madrid this summer, according to a report in The Sun.
Olise is still at the World Cup where he is preparing for France's bronze match with England on Saturday. Upon his return to Bayern Munich, though, he will consider his club future.
- VOTE: Should Tuchel stay or go after England World Cup failure?
- Tuchel: It's not in our DNA to control game with the ball
"With Olise set to head home after Saturday’s third-place match, his club future will now come under the microscope," reads the report.
"According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Olise is keen on a move to Real Madrid and believes that this is the perfect time in his career to make the switch.
"Olise’s contract in Germany runs for another three years.
"And Bayern chiefs want to renew the deal further.
"But should their hand be forced, the club’s hierarchy have reportedly begun to look at potential replacements.
"Among them is said to be Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/04/28/image-35545b32-7c16-4400-8f92-e472f4c4c267-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'STUNNING!' – Brilliant Olise scores superb equaliser
Video credit: TNT Sports
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cups, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement