On July 2 (CEST), in the Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup, the England national team faced the Democratic Republic of Congo. After conceding an early goal in the first half, H. Kane scored twice in the second half, leading to a 2-1 victory and progression to the next stage. Following the match, Oliver Brown, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph, wrote an article stating that the Football Association's decision to hire Thomas Tuchel, a so-called "cup competition tactician," was a waste of money.

Thomas Tuchel appears to believe that key players on the team can always turn the tide. So far, in three of four matches, H. Kane and Jude Bellingham have played heroic roles, rescuing the team. However, beyond relying on his superstar players' ability to change the game, Thomas Tuchel seems to have no other way to manage crises. During his time at clubs, he led Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final in 2020 and Chelsea to the Champions League title the following year. Yet judging by recent performances, he appears to be a novice fumbling his way through, step by step. Fans now struggle to believe England can beat Mexico convincingly at high altitude, let alone the subsequent encounters with Brazil, Argentina, and France.

Original Daily Telegraph text

When England was just 22 minutes away from near elimination from the World Cup, with a break approaching in the second half, Thomas Tuchel was frantically scribbling tactical notes—a sight that looked particularly strange. Can a head coach earning 5 million pounds per year not communicate to his players how critical the situation is without written notes?

However, to be fair, what happened next was nothing short of miraculous: his tactical adjustments led to a thrilling comeback. Substitute Anthony Gordon provided two assists, and H. Kane scored twice, pulling the team back from the brink and saving his job. This player delivered divine performances, scoring 13 goals in major tournaments and surpassing Pelé's record of 12 goals. But Thomas Tuchel clearly cannot always rely on his team's superstars to save the day.

After the match, everyone felt relief at survival, but objectively speaking, England should never have been pushed to such an edge. Such a precarious situation might be understandable in a semifinal, but this was merely a Round of 16 match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yet in this tournament, Thomas Tuchel seems determined to walk a tightrope, facing the risk of elimination head-on, as though convinced that key players can always turn the tide.

So far, this optimistic faith has been vindicated: H. Kane and Jude Bellingham have delivered heroic performances in three of four matches. But in four days, England will head to the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to face the hosts in a crucial high-altitude clash. The head coach cannot continue relying on comebacks from desperate situations.

When assessing World Cup favorites, we always look at whether a team shows gradual improvement. England shows no signs of such steady growth; for much of this match, they struggled and played cautiously. The team's defense was riddled with holes; Yoane Wissa missed a golden chance, and England narrowly avoided conceding a second goal. Porro was dreadful on the pitch, and Thomas Tuchel watched him with an agonized expression. Rashford and Madueke were toothless on the flanks, and when both were substituted after an hour, English fans even emitted a mocking laugh. Apart from H. Kane's world-class finishing ability, this team shows almost no coherent, unified tactical system.

The Football Association originally hired Thomas Tuchel believing him to be a master of cup competition tactics, capable of handling the unpredictable nature of knockout matches. After all, his detailed plan for England to win the World Cup helped him land this job. But when the match reached the 75th minute with the team on the brink of elimination, it's hard not to wonder if the signing was worth it. Falling behind to the Democratic Republic of Congo was not part of his grand plan. Apart from relying on H. Kane's exceptional ability to change the game, what other solutions does Thomas Tuchel have for crises? Even if H. Kane puts in a perfect performance, there is still no clear answer from elsewhere.

Staff members who have worked with Thomas Tuchel acknowledge that he possesses enormous charisma and can effectively unite the team. Sharp comments from assistant coach Anthony Barry during halftime of the Croatia match earned him many admirers, who described Tuchel's arrival as "the appearance of a UFO, something never before seen." Barry genuinely agrees with the German coach's tactical philosophy; the entire team not only obeys him but trusts him. During his club management, he achieved numerous successes through meticulous tactical arrangements: he took Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final in 2020 and Chelsea to the Champions League title the following year.

The most iconic moment for Thomas Tuchel was undoubtedly when he ran backward across the field after the final whistle of the Champions League final in Porto, overflowing with joy at defeating Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. His record in various cup competitions is equally brilliant; in just 19 months at Chelsea, the team reached three domestic cup finals—a remarkable achievement. The Football Association originally expected the World Cup to be the stage where Thomas Tuchel's coaching talents would fully flourish, viewing it as his natural domain where he could develop flexible and varied tactical systems for each match. Yet judging by recent performances, he appears to be more of a novice fumbling his way through, step by step.

England's play was sluggish for much of this match, while the Democratic Republic of Congo was more assertive and possessed richer tactical ideas. Thomas Tuchel always likes to rely on his "finishers," believing they can breach a tired opponent's defense, and this approach worked in this match—the Democratic Republic of Congo pressed with high intensity early on, but their energy gradually waned in the second half. However, the outside world hopes he can establish a stable starting lineup sooner. In this match, he inexplicably selected Rashford and Madueke as the two wingers; for the Mexico match, he may return to Gordon and Bukayo Saka. His personnel decisions are inconsistent, as though he constantly doubts himself and repeatedly reverses his own choices.

Undoubtedly, Thomas Tuchel remains firmly in his position solely thanks to H. Kane's heroic efforts.

Had they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the severity of the defeat would have been comparable to the Iceland loss in 2016, which directly led to Roy Hodgson's dismissal, and might even have triggered collective accountability from management, including Football Association Chief Executive Mark Bullingham. It was H. Kane alone who rewrote the outcome of elimination.

Despite the team being immersed in the joy of progressing to the next stage, few English fans truly sang "Football's Coming Home."

A hard-fought victory against the team that finished second in the African qualifying group makes it difficult to believe they can beat Mexico convincingly at high altitude, then travel to Miami to face Brazil, and then go on to battle Argentina and France.

This is England's treacherous path to progression. Everyone in England is already worried, but Thomas Tuchel still appears to have no clear strategy for breaking the deadlock.

Переведено ИИ.

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