Thomas Tuchel has faced heavy criticism following England’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, but former England winger Andros Townsend argues the manager was not at fault.
Argentina came from behind with two late goals in Atlanta to secure a final against Spain. Anthony Gordon had put England ahead in the 55th minute before Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th and Lautaro Martinez scored in stoppage time.
England retreated after taking the lead, with Tuchel switching to a back five and making defensive substitutions as Argentina pressed. The decision to invite pressure has been widely questioned.
Townsend, however, believes Argentina’s tactical shift changed the match. After the goal, he noted, Argentina moved to a 3-1-6 formation in the 65th minute, forcing Tuchel to respond.
According to Townsend, Tuchel held his attacking shape as long as possible before the hydration break. He then changed to a 5-3-2, judging that defending a 4-4-2 against such a setup was unworkable.
The former winger added that England had only one or two attacks in the 20 minutes after going ahead. With the team unable to regain control, a defensive adjustment became necessary.
Townsend also defended the late introduction of a defender to contain Lionel Messi. He argued that assigning a defensive player to track Messi’s drifting position was smarter than using a forward in that role.
Rather than blaming the manager, Townsend pointed to player nerves as the decisive factor. He said the fear of becoming the scapegoat for a costly error led England to prioritise defence.
With no major trophy since 1966 and 30 minutes from a final, that instinct, he concluded, ultimately cost England their place in the World Cup final.
