The World Cup

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I don’t think it’s the coach, I think it’s the players. As Wilder has alluded to when talking about the way we sit deep once we take the lead. He says that isn’t the instruction, the players just do it. I think it’s definitely a mentality thing. But I understand why people choose to crucify Tuchel because accepting the reality isn’t very pleasant.

I agree that there's nuance.
I don't think Tuchel told the players to defend on our six yard line, but his substitutions certainly will have had a psychological impact on the players. They weren't positive.

If he'd sent on Saka and Rashford it would have given everyone a lift. We're in front and we're going for the jugular.
If Argentina pin us back, we have an escape route, an out ball to get us up the pitch.

 

[SwissBlade]

I don’t think it’s the coach, I think it’s the players. As Wilder has alluded to when talking about the way we sit deep once we take the lead. He says that isn’t the instruction, the players just do it. I think it’s definitely a mentality thing. But I understand why people choose to crucify Tuchel because accepting the reality isn’t very pleasant.

I’ve already said the coaches game plan was spot on until we scored.

The coach made the decision to bring on 3 defenders before Argentina scored.

Whether he gave instructions to them to mark players and stop crosses, I don’t know.

Argentina were a smaller team but the decision to use such a defensive policy and bring on more height instead of physicality is a mentality thing from the coach.

The players, in my view were hung out to dry based on Tuchel decisions. He didn’t bring on a ball carrier until Argentina had scored two. He didn’t bring on a physical midfielder to combat the 88% possession and 2 completed passes from England, he chose to defend and wait it out…

The instruction may not have been to sit deep, but the result of the changes gave almost no other options.

Bravery would’ve been to trust the process and bring in like for like players and not expose the side like that against the World Champs

 

[Nick Jansky]

I’ve already said the coaches game plan was spot on until we scored.

The coach made the decision to bring on 3 defenders before Argentina scored.

Whether he gave instructions to them to mark players and stop crosses, I don’t know.

Argentina were a smaller team but the decision to use such a defensive policy and bring on more height instead of physicality is a mentality thing from the coach.

The players, in my view were hung out to dry based on Tuchel decisions. He didn’t bring on a ball carrier until Argentina had scored two. He didn’t bring on a physical midfielder to combat the 88% possession and 2 completed passes from England, he chose to defend and wait it out…

The instruction may not have been to sit deep, but the result of the changes gave almost no other options.

Bravery would’ve been to trust the process and bring in like for like players and not expose the side like that against the World Champs

I’ll stick by my own view of why there’s only ever been one trophy, and that was on home soil. And I think Tuchel was spot on with his comment about the inability of players to hold on to the ball.

I’ve heard the excuse about the EPL being so awash with overseas players that England managers only have a small pool to pick from compared to similarly sized nations, but there’s a reason for that, and it’s the same reason that so few English players make it in La Liga or other major leagues.

It’s an opinion, but if you think that, per capita, the quality and mentality of English players are on a par with those of other nations, fair play, we can disagree.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

I’ve said it before, but when O’Reilly came on in the 82nd minute he clearly mouthed, ‘4-5-1’ so this must have been an instruction from Tuchel, rather than a decision by the players on the pitch to sit back.
I don’t think the blame should be attached to the players, it’s Tuchel’s fault, and his alone.

 

[South stand tut]

I’ll stick by my own view of why there’s only ever been one trophy, and that was on home soil. And I think Tuchel was spot on with his comment about the inability of players to hold on to the ball.

I’ve heard the excuse about the EPL being so awash with overseas players that England managers only have a small pool to pick from compared to similarly sized nations, but there’s a reason for that, and it’s the same reason that so few English players make it in La Liga or other major leagues.

It’s an opinion, but if you think that, per capita, the quality and mentality of English players are on a par with those of other nations, fair play, we can disagree.

Not winning the world cup / Euros is a price im prepared to pay not to have to watch Spanish/ Italian style league football every week.

 

[Upton_Blade]

I’ve said it before, but when O’Reilly came on in the 82nd minute he clearly mouthed, ‘4-5-1’ so this must have been an instruction from Tuchel, rather than a decision by the players on the pitch to sit back.
I don’t think the blame should be attached to the players, it’s Tuchel’s fault, and his alone.

I definitely don't have the time or energy to go back through your posting history but if that's the case then surely CW should shoulder the blame for our issues with trying to be too defensive over the last couple of seasons shouldn't he?

I mean we have posters on here claiming it's the players and not CW.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

I’ve said it before, but when O’Reilly came on in the 82nd minute he clearly mouthed, ‘4-5-1’ so this must have been an instruction from Tuchel, rather than a decision by the players on the pitch to sit back.
I don’t think the blame should be attached to the players, it’s Tuchel’s fault, and his alone.

He might have said that, but it was more like 8-2-0

 

[Silas]

Feels like this comes down to mentality. England look more likely to crack under pressure.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

I definitely don't have the time or energy to go back through your posting history but if that's the case then surely CW should shoulder the blame for our issues with trying to be too defensive over the last couple of seasons shouldn't he?

I mean we have posters on here claiming it's the players and not CW.

See #989.
I was simply pointing out what I saw in the World Cup semi final. Others had said they thought it was the players who decided to be defensive without any instruction from Tuchel whereas I believe, from what O’Reilly mouthed, that it was a direct instruction from him.

 

[Kenilworth]

I don’t think it’s the coach, I think it’s the players. As Wilder has alluded to when talking about the way we sit deep once we take the lead. He says that isn’t the instruction, the players just do it. I think it’s definitely a mentality thing. But I understand why people choose to crucify Tuchel because accepting the reality isn’t very pleasant.

It’s more his negative substitutions than anything else. He should have brought Rashford and Saka on (we knew Argentina were vulnerable down their flanks) after the goal, so we kept the initiative and the out ball. But, no. He brings on a load of defenders which meant we were completely screwed when the equaliser went in.
I’m glad we didn’t manage to make it to ET with that finishing 11. That would have been tortuous.

 

[Kenilworth]

Unbelievable that the pointless game tonight is in Miami where heat+ storms are possible

What game?

 

[Kenilworth]

See #989.
I was simply pointing out what I saw in the World Cup semi final. Others had said they thought it was the players who decided to be defensive without any instruction from Tuchel whereas I believe, from what O’Reilly mouthed, that it was a direct instruction from him.

Same
4-5-1 was the first instruction. And it narrowed, which played directly into Argentina’s strengths

 

[Nick Jansky]

It’s more his negative substitutions than anything else. He should have brought Rashford and Saka on (we knew Argentina were vulnerable down their flanks) after the goal, so we kept the initiative and the out ball. But, no. He brings on a load of defenders which meant we were completely screwed when the equaliser went in.
I’m glad we didn’t manage to make it to ET with that finishing 11. That would have been tortuous.

All of those defenders couldn’t manage the basics, such as preventing crosses coming in.

 

[Kenilworth]

All of those defenders couldn’t manage the basics, such as preventing crosses coming in.

Agreed, so he should have been positive and put Rashford and Saka on. That would have provided an outlet and they are both good at covering a full back.

 

[SwissBlade]

All of those defenders couldn’t manage the basics, such as preventing crosses coming in.

Bringing centre halves in to stop crosses from the left by the worlds best player for the last 20 years…

Watched a good clip with Neville saying that O’Reilly should’ve been given one job which was to sit on Messi. Keane waded in and basically said it’s hard to do… because he’s the best in the world and has been for so long. Fair enough.

But the tactic shouldn’t be about defending crosses and stopping Messi crossing but stop the ball getting to him first. We didn’t do that because of changes made.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Agreed, so he should have been positive and put Rashford and Saka on. That would have provided an outlet and they are both good at covering a full back.

We had dropped deep and stopped competing before a substitution was made. As soon as Gordon’s goal went in. They shat themselves. If that’s the mentality the manager is witnessing I can see the sense in attempting to make the team more solid. Obviously, it didn’t work, but I think if he had done as you suggest it would have been a heavier defeat.

 

[TJ blade]

Pissed off but not surprised.

The worst thing you can do is go ahead against Argentina and then play a defensive game.

Their first goal, who has the edge of the box to block the shot? That is a given duty to a midfielder to close down if the ball is headed out on the corner.

Second goal, he is BETWEEN two centre backs and Konsa is jumping into fresh air. Quite why you are not touch-tight is anyone's guess.

Everyone seems to know the score, we've seen it all before ...

Argentina will win the WC26 once again (extra time or pens), Messi will retire and they won't be anywhere near the last four in 2030.

Or England