Why Thomas Tuchel will have to rebuild players trust after England World Cup exit

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] boss has been heavily criticised for his defensive substitutions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/argentina-f9OppQjp/england-j9N9ZNFA/summary/stats/?mid=pKVyGJbD"]in a 2-1 semi-final defeat[/a] by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] in Atlanta on Wednesday, accused of ceding control to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a]'s team.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] put England on track for their first World Cup final since 1966 but late goals from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-enzo/nZnbEVWP/"]Enzo Fernandez[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-lautaro/QHk1CXUh/"]Lautaro Martinez[/a] turned the match around in a dramatic finish.[/p][embed guid="17a79d83-1cd8-4cea-9f6c-af0e9ad730a5" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2077793654672900423" social-type="twitter" /][p]Tuchel, the German appointed to make bold, game-changing calls in the biggest moments, failed his biggest test as his team folded under intense Argentine pressure.[/p][p]Defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guehi-marc/KEeklutO/"]Marc Guehi[/a] suggested England should have remained on the front foot against the defending champions.[/p][p][b]"We should have carried on, we should have carried on pushing," [/b]he said.[b] "It kind of felt like we scored and then the mentality was go back, defend."[/b][/p][p]Captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] also questioned his side's approach but refused to point the finger at Tuchel's game management.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="19f4bb0e-993b-4fe2-b61d-96c2ffd82961" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="050e3dde-a3d2-43e1-9689-d4a8385fed49" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Ex-players and pundits were more direct, expressing widespread astonishment at his tactics.[/p][p]Former England captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rooney-wayne/WfXv1DCa/"]Wayne Rooney[/a] told the BBC that the Three Lions had been "too passive" while ex-England international [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sutton-chris/hpnF0Fzs/"]Chris Sutton[/a] said it had been a "coaching catastrophe".[/p][p][b]"He was negative, so the question which I'm going to ask is 'How can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this team forward?',"[/b] said Sutton.[/p][p]Despite the manner of England's defeat, Tuchel is understood to retain the backing of the Football Association, who appointed him in October 2024 to succeed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/southgate-gareth/t4YlwJ0P/"]Gareth Southgate[/a].[/p][p][b]"It is heartbreaking to be so close," [/b]said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham. [b]"The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.[/b][/p][p][b]"I would like to thank them all, and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home."[/b][/p][h2]Tactical nous[/h2][p]The blunt and charismatic Tuchel, 52, was hired with a reputation as a tactical wizard to get England over the line at a major championship after a string of agonising near-misses under Southgate.[/p][p]But the 2026 tournament has ended in familiar, heartbreaking fashion.[/p][embed guid="6646fad9-b0c8-4ea1-a5dc-301b20c21a3e" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2077700251993936005" social-type="twitter" /][p]Tuchel's initial contract took him up until the end of the 2026 World Cup but he subsequently signed a new deal keeping him in the job until the 2028 European Championship, in the UK and Ireland.[/p][p]The former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] boss is already looking forward, even though England still have to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] in a third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday.[/p][p][b]"There is still a match to play that we are not looking so much forward to, but there is still a match to play," [/b]he said.[/p][p][b]"Of course then we keep on going. I have a contract until the home Euros and I'm looking forward to that even, like now, it's difficult to look that far ahead."[/b][/p][embed guid="71ba48e2-bfc1-40c9-b7c3-6af6e94d164b" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2077636674239025303" social-type="twitter" /][p]The England camp has been a largely happy one during the World Cup - highlighted when Tuchel danced with his players in the rosy afterglow of their impressive 3-2 win in Mexico City.[/p][p]But the tournament is ending on a sour note and Tuchel must address pressing questions including defensive issues and an over-reliance on forward Harry Kane, who turns 33 later this month.[/p][p]He must also convince his players and the nation that he will get the biggest calls right next time.[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]