On July 2 (Beijing time/CEST), in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup, England played against the Democratic Republic of Congo. After conceding a goal in the first half, Kane scored twice in the second half, leading his team to a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory and advancing. Following the match, Oliver Brown, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph, wrote an article stating that the FA's decision to recruit Tuchel, a supposed "master of cup competition tactics," was wasteful.

Tuchel appears confident that his team's key players can always turn the tide. So far, in three of four matches, Kane and Bellingham have played the role of saviors. However, beyond relying on his superstars' extraordinary ability to change the game, Tuchel seems to have no other way to handle crises. During his club coaching career, he led Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final in 2020 and Chelsea to the Champions League title the following year. But judging from recent performances on the pitch, he looks more like an amateur fumbling his way forward, taking things one step at a time. Fans now struggle to believe England can beat Mexico at altitude, let alone face Brazil, Argentina, and France later.

Original Telegraph Text

With only 22 minutes remaining before his team risked elimination from the FIFA World Cup, and the second-half hydration break approaching, Tuchel frantically scribbled tactical notes—a scene that looked distinctly odd. Can a head coach earning 5 million pounds a year not convey to his players how critical the situation is without handwritten notes?

Yet, in all honesty, what happened next was something of a miracle: his tactical adjustment prompted a thrilling comeback. Substitute Anthony Gordon provided two assists, and Kane scored twice, pulling the team back from the brink and saving his job. This player delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 13 goals in the tournament, surpassing Pelé's record of 12 goals. However, Tuchel clearly cannot rely on his superstars to bail him out every time.

After the match, everyone felt relief at survival, but objectively, England should not have been forced into such a situation. A precarious situation like this might be understandable in a semifinal, but this was merely a Round of 16 knockout match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yet in this tournament, Tuchel seems determined to walk a tightrope, facing elimination crises head-on, as if confident that his team's star players can always reverse the situation.

So far, this optimistic faith has proven correct, with Kane and Bellingham playing the hero in three of four matches. But within four days, England will travel to Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to face hosts Mexico at altitude. This is a crucial battle, and a coach who depends on comebacks from desperate situations cannot sustain success in the long term.

When evaluating FIFA World Cup favorites, we always ask whether a team can develop steadily and improve over time. England shows no signs of stable growth, stumbling and playing too cautiously throughout most of these matches. The team's defense is full of holes; Yoane Wissa missed a golden opportunity, and England nearly fell two goals behind; Porro had a poor display, and Tuchel watched with a pained expression. Rashford and Madueke posed little threat on the wings. When both were substituted after an hour of play, England fans even laughed mockingly. Except for Kane's world-class finishing, the team barely displayed a coherent and unified tactical system.

The FA recruited Tuchel because they believed he was a master of cup competition tactics, skilled at handling the unpredictability of knockout matches. After all, his detailed plan for England to win the FIFA World Cup helped him land the job. But when the match reached the 75th minute and the team was on the brink of elimination, it's hard not to question whether the recruitment was worthwhile. Falling behind the Democratic Republic of Congo was not part of his grand plan. Beyond relying on Kane's extraordinary ability to change the game, what other method does Tuchel have to handle crises? Even if Kane delivers a perfect performance, there is still no clear answer from elsewhere.

Staff members who have worked with Tuchel acknowledge that he possesses great charisma and can unite a team effectively. Assistant coach Anthony Barry's sharp commentary on midfield against Croatia attracted many fans, describing Tuchel's arrival as "like an unidentified flying object, never seen before." Barry genuinely agrees with the German coach's tactical philosophy; the entire team not only obeys but also trusts him. During his club coaching career, he achieved considerable success through meticulous tactical setup: leading Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final in 2020 and Chelsea to the Champions League title the following year.

Tuchel's most iconic moment may have been when, after the final whistle of the Champions League final in Porto, he ran backward onto the pitch in sheer joy after beating Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. His record across various cup competitions is also brilliant; in just 19 months at Chelsea, the team reached three domestic cup finals, a remarkable achievement. The FA initially hoped that the FIFA World Cup stage would fully showcase Tuchel's coaching talents, believing that this should be his domain where he could design flexible and varied tactical systems for each match. But judging from recent performances on the pitch, he looks more like an amateur fumbling his way forward, taking things one step at a time.

In this match, England was in decline for long stretches, while the Democratic Republic of Congo was more impactful and had richer tactical ideas. Tuchel always likes to rely on his team's "finishers," believing they can break through a tiring opponent's defense. This approach worked in this match—the Democratic Republic of Congo pressed with high intensity early on, but their stamina gradually depleted in the second half. However, the public expects him to form a stable starting lineup earlier. In this match, he inexplicably chose Rashford and Madueke as his two wingers; for the Mexico match, he may revert to Gordon and Bukayo Saka. His personnel strategy is inconsistent, as if he constantly doubts himself and reverses his decisions.

Undoubtedly, Tuchel retains his position only because of Kane's heroic actions.

Had they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the severity of such a defeat would have been comparable to the 2016 loss to Iceland, which directly led to Roy Hodgson's sacking, and might have even triggered collective accountability for management, including FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham. Kane alone changed the elimination result.

Although the entire team is immersed in the joy of advancing, few England fans are genuinely singing "Football's Coming Home."

A hard-fought narrow victory over a team that finished second in its African qualifying group makes it hard to believe they can beat Mexico at altitude, then travel to Miami to face Brazil, and then immediately confront Argentina and France.

This is England's perilous path to advancement. Everyone in England is already anxious, but Tuchel still appears to lack a clear strategy to break the deadlock.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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