Jamie O’Hara stormed out of the eSPORTY studio after Jason Cundy defended Thomas Tuchel’s decisions in England’s World Cup exit.
The Three Lions suffered yet more major tournament heartache on Wednesday night, as they were dumped out in the semi-finals by Argentina with a crushing 2-1 defeat.
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After England took a second-half lead through Anthony Gordon, Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored in the final 10 minutes to send the defending champions through in gut-wrenching fashion.
The result itself left English fans devastated, as their 60-year wait for major tournament glory will continue for at least two more years.
Meanwhile, the manner of defeat has drawn criticism, with Tuchel coming under fire for his defensive tactics after going 1-0 up.
Instead of looking to build on their lead, the Three Lions sat back, as Tuchel substituted Gordon for centre-back Ezri Konsa in an attempt to shut up shop.
This only invited more pressure from Argentina, who equalised with five minutes remaining, before finding the winner in injury time.
Despite Tuchel now facing calls to be sacked, eSPORTY understands the FA have no plans to part ways with their manager.
What might have been
The fallout has continued in the days since England’s World Cup heartbreak, not least from eSPORTY’s Cundy and O’Hara, who were on opposing sides when dissecting where it all went wrong.
While both previously agreed they would have preferred to see Tuchel be more aggressive, Cundy tested the waters by questioning how fans would have responded if the Three Lions had lost, but by being caught out by being too attacking.
Stating his premise, Cundy began: “I’m playing devil’s advocate here, I’m just trying to find out about what the temperature might be like with the fans.
“If Thomas Tuchel had then gone hell for leather, he had then brought on [Marcus] Rashford, [Bukayo] Saka – [what if] he brought on these lads and we got beat 2-1?”
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To this, O’Hara insisted: “I would have accepted that.”
‘I’d rather die on my sword’
A furious back-and-forth then unfolded, as Cundy insisted that supporters would have been furious if England had instead lost by being too gung-ho and failed to defend their lead.
Outlining the reaction if Tuchel had gone for this approach, the Sports Bar host said: “I’ll tell you what the argument would be: [fans would say] ‘What an idiot – 85 minutes on the counter attack, seven minutes later we get done with the counter attack again’.
“That’s what would happen, that would be the problem. J, I’m telling you, that’s the conversation that would have taken place.
“No one’s going to go: ‘Well done England, we were really brave. We really peppered their goal, but we got done on two counter attacks. Why didn’t we go five at the back like we did against Mexico?’ “
This argument didn’t wash with O’Hara, who insisted Tuchel could kept England on the front foot for longer, before retreating later on.
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The former Tottenham man insisted that after watching the national team fall short by standing off in the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024, as well as getting to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, he would have welcomed a more brave approach.
Addressing Cundy, O’Hara said: “I hear you, but no manager in their right mind would have carried on attacking and playing gung-ho football in the 85th minute and winning 1-0.
“The scenario’s unrealistic – if that did happen, we could have gone 2-0 up.
“We’re now 2-0 up and now we’re bopping it. Argentina have gone [mentally] – they’re kicking a granny out of us. One of them has got sent off and we’re all sitting there, jumping up and down, because we’re bopping Argentina off the pitch in the 85th minute, because we’re 2-0 up, because we went on attack.”
O’Hara continued: “I’d rather die on my sword.”
Refusing to buy this, Cundy asked his co-host: “You would sit there and go: ‘Oh, well done, boys. Glorious failure. We had a right go – hit the post a couple of times. Got done on two counter-attacks, fine. Go out on your shield’?
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“No way! No way, you’d sit there and say that!”
Getting increasingly wound up, O’Hara fired back: “I would have sat there and I would have accepted it, because I’ve watched four bloody tournaments of England doing exactly what we did last time.
“And if we had gone out with Rashford and Saka on the pitch and still trying to attack, and we get done, then we get done!”
The debate only rumbled on, with Cundy arguing: “No chance. I know you too well. No chance. I wouldn’t accept it!
“I wouldn’t accept it. I’d be saying: ‘Why’s he not gone five at the back? Why’s he not [defending]? He’s hitting them 85th minute on the counter-attack’.”
Now furious, O’Hara said: “Well, that scenario didn’t happen, did it? And that scenario didn’t happen because Thomas Tuchel bottled it.”
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Show’s over
Cundy’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ approach soon proved too much for O’Hara, who accused his fellow presenter of trying to get a rise out of him.
He fumed at Cundy: “You’re not agreeing, you’re trying to wind me up,” while his co-host insisted: “No, I’m not. 100 per cent I’m agreeing with you, J.
But Cundy was unable to talk an angry O’Hara round, who removed his microphone and got ready to leave the studio.
O’Hara repeated furiously: “You’re not agreeing with me. You’re not agreeing with me,” before storming out.
