Should Thomas Tuchel stay or go? Fans have their say on England manager's future after disappointing 2026 World Cup exit to Argentina
Published 17/07/2026 at 19:02 GMT+1
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England's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign ended in disappointment following their 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals on Wednesday. And the nature of defeat has led to questions about the future of manager Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel: I am responsible for the decisions and I take the criticism
Video credit: SNTV
Tuchel's tactics in the latter stages of the game in Atlanta were the subject of criticism from commentators and fans - and even some of his senior players, according to reports - as his side looked to hold onto a narrow one-goal advantage against the defending champions.
After Anthony Gordon gave England the lead, the Three Lions resorted to an increasingly defensive playing style, with Tuchel introducing defenders to try to keep out waves of Argentinian attacks.
By the time Argentina drew level in the 85th minute, England had Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn and Djed Spence manning a five-man backline, with the midfield including versatile defender Nico O'Reilly, and even striker Harry Kane not playing that much further forward.
Only when Argentina took the lead in stoppage time did Tuchel bring on Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney, but it was too little, too late as far as England’s World Cup prospects were concerned.
There was understandably plenty of frustration at the manner of the defeat, with most of the ire being directed at Tuchel.
Although the German defended his tactics afterwards, his methods were questioned by some.
And the fans have had their say, with 61% of the belief that Tuchel should not stay on as England manager in a vote on the TNT Sports website.
With the next Euros being held in the UK and Ireland, England are likely to be among the favourites.
But according to the vote, 59% think Tuchel should leave before that tournament, while 19% say he should go after Euro 2028. Conversely, a further 19% think Tuchel should stay beyond the next World Cup in 2030.
Tuchel was initially brought in to get England over the hump and win trophies after so many near misses under Gareth Southgate.
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But the dramatic nature of their exit in North America raised the question of whether he will be able to end England's 60 years of hurt, with 72% of fans saying that he will win nothing during his time in charge; 25% said he would win the Euros and just 3% said he would win the World Cup.
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England second-half struggles 'a similar story' to previous tournaments - Kane
Video credit: SNTV
Finally, Tuchel's tactical decisions were the main point of anger for many England supporters, as he chose to bring on defenders to hold onto a lead rather than looking to kill the game off.
When asked about Tuchel's tactical flexibility in games, just 6% of supporters believe he should stick with the same approach, while 35% said he should use a similar method but with a few tweaks.
However, a whopping 60% believe there should be a complete change of approach by Tuchel if he is to finally 'bring it home'.
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