Thomas Tuchel Criticism: Rooney, Shearer And Zlatan React

What Actually Happened, Minute By Minute

Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute , finishing a move started by Harry Kane and finished with a Morgan Rogers cross. England didn’t create another clear chance for the rest of the match. Here’s the substitution sequence that followed.

Wayne Rooney: “They Will Know What Was Coming”

Former England captain Wayne Rooney focused on what the substitutions communicated to his own players in real time. Rooney said that when Tuchel made his changes, “100 percent the players will be stood on the pitch thinking, ‘Oh no.’ They will know what was coming.”

Speaking separately on the BBC panel — which also featured Micah Richards and Joe Hart — Rooney argued the timing amounted to Tuchel signaling doubt in his own team: “for him to change it as soon as he did, I think he realised that’s him saying he didn’t believe in his team.”

Alan Shearer: “Six Defenders on the Pitch”

BBC commentator Alan Shearer zeroed in on the specific personnel decision. Shearer said on commentary that England “had six defenders on the pitch,” adding that Tuchel “played his hand and wanted to hang on” rather than push for a second goal.

Shearer wasn’t only critical of the tactics — he also credited Argentina’s response. Speaking separately after the match, he said plainly, “I think the better team won. You have got to be open and honest about it.”

Zlatan Ibrahimović: “The Best Team Won”

On FOX’s postgame panel, Zlatan Ibrahimović drew the sharpest contrast between the two managers’ approaches. Ibrahimović said England “stopped playing when they scored the goal,” questioning why Tuchel “went too defensive” while Lionel Scaloni “went more offensive” with Argentina’s own substitutions.

The Numbers Support The Criticism

The underlying stats back up what the pundits saw live. England finished with an expected-goals total of just 0.53 from five shots, compared to Argentina’s 1.84 from 15 attempts. England’s overall possession dropped to 36% for the match, and in the stretch between Gordon’s goal and Argentina’s equalizer specifically, England held the ball just 12% of the time.

The attacking numbers were even starker. Kane and midfielder Jude Bellingham, who had combined for 12 goals across this World Cup entering the match, combined for a single shot between them after England took the lead.

Not Tuchel’s Usual Approach

The criticism carries extra weight because it doesn’t match Tuchel’s pattern earlier in the tournament. Asked directly about the contrast, Tuchel noted that he’d made more attacking substitutions in England’s previous knockout matches and framed Wednesday’s defensive shift as a response to what he saw unfolding on the pitch, not a change in overall approach. Critics have pointed out that whatever the intent, the result was the same defensive collapse that has now defined three different England World Cup semifinals under three different managers.

End Of Thomas Tuchel Criticism Rant

Tuchel remains under contract with England through the next European Championship, and there’s no indication his job is in immediate danger over one result. England face France in Saturday’s third-place playoff in Miami, a match that offers little beyond a chance to end the tournament on a better note — and, for Tuchel, an opportunity to show the pundits piling on this week that Wednesday’s approach was the exception rather than a preview of how he manages a lead going forward. How he sets up against France, and whether England push for a second goal rather than protect a first one, will be the first real test of whether any of this criticism actually lands