England greats Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney have fiercely criticised Thomas Tuchel following the Three Lions’ heartbreaking World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. The German coach’s ultra-defensive approach backfired dramatically as late strikes from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez overturned a 1-0 advantage into a 2-1 loss.

Lineker calls tactical shift 'astonishing'

Lineker was highly critical of Tuchel’s in-game decisions after Anthony Gordon put England ahead in Atlanta. The former striker expressed disbelief at the decision to replace attacking players with defensive ones, effectively inviting Lionel Messi and his teammates to apply relentless pressure.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said, “We went a goal up, then sat deep. The substitutions he made pushed us even deeper. It became five at the back and you’re thinking, ‘we’re going to play a low block’ against a team who thrive against that. It made no sense to me. Tactically it was astonishing, to be honest. It was a negative move. We were all watching the same game, thinking the same thing. I found it absolutely unfathomable that you’d choose to play that way against the greatest footballer ever. Get close to him [Messi]. He kept delivering cross after cross into the box.”

Rooney says Tuchel’s decisions cost England a place in the final

Rooney echoed Lineker’s sentiments, suggesting that Tuchel’s lack of ambition from the sidelines sapped the players’ confidence on the pitch. The Manchester United legend was particularly frustrated with how England lost control just when they appeared to have the reigning champions under pressure.

“The decisions Thomas Tuchel made, we have to be honest, cost us tonight,” Rooney said. “If you’re an attacking player and you go 1-0 up, then you see the manager making those changes, you start losing belief. There are only so many times you can get away with it. Then you start thinking, ‘oh no, we’re sitting back for this long, how do we survive this?’ It becomes panic, real panic. You can’t go ahead and then give up possession and stop trying for a second goal – that’s what you should be aiming for. If you let players of Argentina’s quality have the ball near your box, they’ll score eventually.”

Comparisons with Southgate’s tenure

The nature of the defeat sparked inevitable comparisons with former manager Gareth Southgate’s era, as ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart noted that England’s old habits seemed to persist. Despite the change in leadership, the national team’s tendency to retreat in crucial moments remains a recurring flaw.

Hart observed, “I think Gareth Southgate will be watching at home remembering the criticism he got for doing the same thing – taking the lead and then shutting up shop. I don’t see any difference here. For all the praise Thomas Tuchel has received, changing the system as early as he did showed he didn’t believe his team could land another blow on Argentina.”

Casillas and Muller stunned by England’s lack of courage

The disapproval wasn’t limited to English voices. World Cup winners Thomas Muller and Iker Casillas also expressed disbelief over England’s approach. Muller said in a video, “I can’t believe how England played after taking the lead. I don’t understand why they invited Argentina to deliver cross after cross from perfect positions.”

Casillas echoed those remarks, writing, “England score and then sit back. Such a cowardly approach. They barely left their own box and allowed Argentina to attack freely. The inevitable happened.” He added that Tuchel’s side had effectively committed “harakiri” – a term referring to ritual self-destruction historically associated with Japanese samurai.