Thomas Tuchel did not order his players to park the bus against Argentina, according to his former player Lewis Holtby.
The ex-Premier League midfielder has insisted the England boss is being unfairly criticised for the tactical collapse that cost the Three Lions a place in the World Cup final.
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The nation has been left heartbroken after an agonising 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta.
England took the lead early in the second-half through Anthony Gordon, yet Tuchel’s side retreated afterwards and completely crumbled late on, conceding two goals to surrender their spot in football’s most iconic match.
The Three Lions registered just 12 per cent possession after taking the lead on Wednesday night, recoiling into an ultra-defensive shape immediately after the opening goal.
Tuchel’s game plan
But Holby, who played under the German manager earlier in his career during a loan spell at Mainz, insisted the England players retreating into their own penalty box would never be an instruction from Tuchel.
Speaking exclusively to eSPORTY, the former Tottenham and Fulham player defended his ex-boss, arguing the coach’s tactical decisions – whether at Chelsea or England – are designed to be aggressive, not passive.
He said: “I think even though you went into a low block, he always liked to play active football. That means just because you play with a back five, it doesn’t mean that you eventually end up in your box all the time.
“I mean, you [speaking to co-host Sean Dyche] as a manager know yourself perfectly well that if you play in a 5-3-2 or a 5-4-1, you get your pressing moments and your triggers.
“And I think in that moment England didn’t get into those pressing moments anymore because they dropped deeper and deeper, and then you ended up with 10-11 men in your own box.
“So I don’t think the message from Thomas was to sit in your box and hold it out for 20-25 minutes, because Argentina is a hell of a good team to play through.
“You need to create chances and obviously to create momentum with the fans and and the energy they have.”
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Instead, Holtby believes it was the England players who failed to execute the plan Tuchel had likely laid out for them.
He added: “So I think those trigger moments they missed were to get on the break, to get the wing-backs on the break with Harry Kane, who holds up the ball, lets it drop, and then you exploit the space in behind.
“Obviously, we are all clever now, but in that moment, especially in the heat of the game, in that late stage of the tournament – it’s different.”
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
Tuchel has faced heavy scrutiny following the defeat; however, eSPORTY understands the FA have no plans to part ways with their manager.
The German midfielder believes his old boss would have been scrutinised by the English media regardless of the choice he made.
He said: “Obviously in the other games it worked. I mean, in those heated moments you have to make a decision.
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“We could sit here now, maybe if he had gone 4-3-3, and gone full press, but they play out of the press, play through you and score the equaliser in a different way. But, he would probably still be criticised.”
Even Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez noticed there was a drastic change in momentum following the opening goal as England looked to sit back and defend.
The Aston Villa shot-stopper said: “Sometimes when you are winning, you have to go forward. You can’t change the game plan. I think they did it, and they just sent on extra defenders.”
“100% he should stay”
Despite calls from the public for his resignation, Tuchel has now addressed his future and believes the Three Lions can still win a major trophy with him in charge.
When asked whether the England manager should keep his job, Holtby was firm in his stance.
He stated: “100 per cent. He’s a fighter. He loves England. You can see it in his face. You can see it in everything he did while coaching England. He really loves it.
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“He’s passionate about football. He’s passionate about proving people wrong because he’s a hell of a good manager.
“He’s so detail-oriented and obviously he’s also a very good human being. He’s feisty and he gets the best out of people.”
“Never satisfied”
Holtby also shared an anecdote from their time together at Mainz, as an example of Tuchel’s insatiable hunger to get the best out of his players.
“I remember I had scored one goal and set up two in a single game, and I thought, ‘I’m going to have a nice week here’,” said the former midfielder.
“But the whole week he was on me! He was on the same touchline as me, trying to bring the best out of me.
“He was trying to ensure I wasn’t satisfied, and that’s how he is and that’s who he is. He’s a really top manager for a team.”
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