From Southgate to Tuchel has anything really changed for England?

It all felt rather familiar as England exited the World Cup with a 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina. Too pragmatic, poor use of substitutes, sitting back too deep, and when faced with their first real big opponent of the tournament, a crushing defeat. These were all well-known criticisms of Sir Gareth Southgate’s England teams but this was under the management of Thomas Tuchel, the German brought in to signal a change of approach and deliver a first World Cup in 60 years.

In March 2025, Tuchel was asked about England’s Euro 2024 campaign under Southgate. He did not hold back, saying England lacked “a clear playing style,” and reeled off a list of shortcomings “The identity, the clarity, the rhythms, the repetition of patterns, the freedom of players, the expression of players, the hunger. [England] were more afraid to drop out of the tournament, in my observation, than having the excitement and hunger to win it.” Fast forward 16 months, and Tuchel’s analysis of his predecessor’s side could indeed be applied to his team’s semi-final loss to Argentina.

Tuchel has taken a system-first approach to international management, leaving out a wealth of technical talent including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in favour of players who could best carry out specific roles. He selected similar profiles to maintain the squad’s style, banking on plan A working something which ultimately did not happen. The “identity” of his side was supposed to come from key principles: building up short, enticing pressure, and using wide triangles to create chances. However, England struggled to make it click consistently, with the second half of their opening match against Croatia being the closest example of Tuchel’s ideal vision.

Against Argentina, England had just 12% possession between Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener and Enzo Fernandez’s 85th-minute equaliser. Watching Southgate’s big-game losses back, England struggled to build out from the back and defend their lead through possession football. Without players able to get on the ball and keep it, England are left defending while their opponents launch wave after wave of attack the same issue that plagued Tuchel’s side against Argentina.

Irrespective of how good England can look or what approach they take, this appears to be an ongoing issue. If England are to overcome their weakness and start winning those big games, something has to change. Perhaps a combination of Southgate’s technical approach and Tuchel’s tactical methods may be a step in the right direction. For now, England leave the World Cup with familiar questions unanswered, wondering what might have been.