Thomas Tuchel did exactly what he was not supposed to do when he was hired to win the World Cup for England.
Tuchel was passive when the Three Lions needed to attack, poor as an in-game tactician during the brutal final 30 minutes vs Argentina, and cowardly on the sideline in a World Cup semifinal where true courage was required.
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On the morning after one of the most depressing defeats in England’s football history, the initial indication was that the FA would continue to back a head coach who was hired to do what Gareth Southgate could not – turn some of the best football talent in the world into a World Cup winner.
Manchester City legend Pep Guardiola can do that.
And one of the greatest managers in Premier League history is available to the highest bidder, with a home 2028 Euros staring the FA in the face and the 2030 World Cup waiting in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Guardiola wouldn’t have been passive and weak on the sideline on Wednesday in Atlanta.
If the six-time Premier League winner had been coaching Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon, England surely would have done everything within its power to fight for a 2-0 lead rather than pour in defensive substitutions when up 1-0 and pray that Argentina would just keep missing.
Germany immediately turned its attention to Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp after a humiliating World Cup exit.
Now, remember that US Soccer has super-deep pockets and is coming off a home soil World Cup that will continue to raise the profile of international football in the USA.
Factor in that Mauricio Pochettino held an expiring contract when USMNT was knocked out of the Round of 16 by Belgium 4-1.
And know that, while there is no guarantee that Guardiola would say ‘yes’ to everything that US Soccer could offer, he would have to listen to the tempting promise of riches, influence and a lasting legacy in the USA.
So why in the world won’t the FA at least have a serious ‘Pep’ conversation and realize that 99 percent of England brutally woke up on Thursday morning knowing that Tuchel — given a 2/10 rating by eSPORTY broadcaster Adrian Durham — was the primary reason that the Three Lions collapsed into a 2-1 defeat in the World Cup semifinals?
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“Credit to the manager,” said Harry Kane, after England played with second-half fire that led to a 2026 World Cup-opening 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas.
“He gave us a speech at half time and said if we lose, we lose in our way. And I think we saw that in the way we came out in the second half.
“We went full gas and they couldn’t live with it.”
One month later, Tuchel literally did the exact opposite vs Argentina – despite England being the better team for the initial 55 minutes – and forced the Three Lions into losing his way.
England lacked identity the entire tournament, with heroic victories vs Mexico and Norway shadowed by an inexplicable lack of passion vs Ghana, Panama and Congo DR.
Tuchel’s odd roster selections — particularly the absence of creative Chelsea star Cole Palmer — limited England’s flexibility on both sides of the pitch during the biggest sports tournament in world history.
Even a 2-1 win vs Erling Haaland and the Viking Row saw Tuchel clash again with Bellingham and yell at England for not being good enough.
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“I’m not happy with the performance,” Tuchel told ITV in the tense aftermath. “In every sense. The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played. Sloppy, tactical mistakes, not fast enough.”
Tuchel needed a reflecting mirror vs Argentina.
He was so all over the place in the 2026 World Cup that England reverted into a shell in the semifinals, while 39-year-old genius Lionel Messi and brash Enzo Fernandez kept firing away at the net.
USMNT needs Guardiola to take US Soccer to the next step on the world’s stage.
Guardiola would have four years to tweak, overhaul and inspire USMNT, and he could guide Folarin Balogun into the 2030 World Cup semifinals back in Spain.
If you say that England must have an English manager, the FA already said otherwise by putting these Three Lions in Tuchel’s German hands.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe should also receive consideration, but he’ll have to beat the best coaches in the world in 2030.
Tuchel’s hiring was awkward from the start – just ask Bellingham – and he was in denial after England the country watched England the team cave vs Argentina.
“It’s easy to say my decisions were wrong after the defeat,” Tuchel said.
Well, yeah, it is – because everyone except Tuchel knows it.
A rested Guardiola is out there somewhere, watching and waiting.
He already tops the leaderboard for the best betting odds to replace Tuchel.
Which country will be brave enough to hire one of the greatest managers the football world has ever seen?
