On July 2 at 20:13 CEST, in the Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup, England faced the Democratic Republic of Congo. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, Kane scored twice in the second half, helping England secure a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory and advance to the quarter-finals. Following the match, Oliver Brown, a journalist at The Telegraph, wrote an article arguing that the FA's hiring of "tactical mastermind" Tuchel has proven futile.

Tuchel appears to believe that his key players can always turn things around. So far, in three of the four matches, Kane and Bellingham have played the hero. However, beyond relying on the exceptional talent of his superstars to change the course of matches, Tuchel seems to have no other way to handle a crisis. During his time coaching clubs, he led Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final in 2020 and Chelsea to win the Champions League title the following year. But based on recent performances, he looks like an amateur fumbling through, step by step. Fans now find it hard to believe that England can defeat Mexico at high altitude, let alone face Brazil, Argentina, and France later.

Original text from The Telegraph

With just 22 minutes remaining and the team nearly eliminated from the FIFA World Cup, Tuchel frantically scribbled tactical notes as half-time approached. The scene looked particularly odd. Can a head coach earning £5 million a year not convey the seriousness of the situation to his players without handwritten notes?

However, to be fair, what followed was a small miracle: his tactical adjustments led to a dramatic comeback. Substitute Anthony Gordon provided two assists, and Harry Kane scored twice, pulling the team out of the depths of despair and saving Tuchel's job. This player delivered a masterful display, scoring 13 goals in major tournaments, surpassing Pelé's record of 12. But clearly Tuchel cannot always rely on his superstars to rescue him.

After the match, everyone felt relieved to have survived, but objectively speaking, England should never have been pushed to that brink. Such nail-biting situations might be acceptable in a semi-final, but this was only a Round of 16 knockout match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yet in this tournament, Tuchel seems determined to walk a tightrope, directly facing the threat of elimination, as if he believes his key players can always turn things around.

So far, this hopeful faith has been rewarded, with Kane and Bellingham delivering heroic performances in three of the four matches. But in four days, England will travel to the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to face the home side at high altitude. This is a crucial battle, and a coach who relies solely on comebacks from the brink cannot sustain this long-term.

When assessing FIFA World Cup contenders, we always observe whether a team can improve gradually and play better as the tournament progresses. England shows no signs of steady development—they have been inconsistent and timid for most of this match. Their defense is full of gaps; Yoane Wissa missed a glorious opportunity, and England came close to falling two goals behind. Spence's performance was terrible, and Tuchel watched him with an anguished expression. Rashford and Madueke posed no threat on the wings; when both were substituted after an hour, English fans actually laughed. Apart from Kane's elite finishing, the team displayed virtually no coherent, unified tactical system.

The FA initially hired Tuchel because they believed he was a tactical mastermind, skillful at handling the unpredictability of knockout matches. After all, his detailed plan for England to win the FIFA World Cup secured him the job. But when the match entered the 75th minute with the team on the brink of elimination, it's hard not to question whether this contract was worth it. Falling behind to the Democratic Republic of Congo certainly wasn't part of his grand plan. Beyond relying on Kane's exceptional talent to change the course of the match, does Tuchel have any other solution for a crisis? Even with Kane's near-perfect performance, there is still no clear answer from outside the box.

Staff members who have worked with Tuchel have publicly acknowledged that he possesses great charisma and can unite the team powerfully. Coaching assistant Anthony Barry's sharp comments during the first half against Croatia immediately captivated countless fans; he described Tuchel's presence as "like a UFO, something never seen before." Barry genuinely believes in the German coach's tactical philosophy, and the entire team not only follows him but trusts him. During his time coaching clubs, he achieved considerable success through meticulous and precise tactical arrangements: leading Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final in 2020, and subsequently leading Chelsea to win the Champions League title the following year.

One of Tuchel's most iconic moments was running onto the pitch in wild celebration after the final whistle of the Champions League final in Porto, having defeated Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. His record in other cup competitions was equally brilliant; in just 19 months at Chelsea, the team reached three domestic cup finals—a truly remarkable achievement. The FA originally expected the FIFA World Cup stage to showcase Tuchel's coaching talents; this should have been his stage, where he could design flexible and varied tactical systems for each match. But based on recent performances, he looks like an amateur fumbling through, step by step.

In this match, England played poorly for long stretches, while the Democratic Republic of Congo had greater impact and richer tactical ideas. Tuchel prefers to rely on the "finishers" in his lineup, believing they can pierce a tiring defense. This approach worked in this match—Congo applied intense pressure from the start, and their energy gradually depleted in the second half. However, the public hoped he would establish a solid starting lineup earlier. In this match, his selection of Rashford and Madueke as wing-backs was puzzling; for the Mexico match, he will likely return to Gordon and Bukayo Saka. His personnel choices are erratic, as if he constantly doubts himself and repeatedly changes his decisions.

There is no doubt that Tuchel has retained his position thanks to Kane's heroic efforts.

Had they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the severity of that defeat would have been equivalent to the 2016 loss to Iceland, which directly led to Roy Hodgson's sacking and could even have triggered collective responsibility for FA leadership, including Chief Executive Mark Bullingham. It was Kane alone who rewrote the outcome from elimination.

Despite the team drowning in the joy of victory, few English fans are actually singing "Football's Coming Home" with conviction.

A hard-fought win over a team that finished second in their African qualifying group makes it difficult to believe they can defeat Mexico at altitude, then travel to Miami to face Brazil, and subsequently confront Argentina and France.

This is England's perilous path forward. Everyone in England is filled with anxiety, yet Tuchel still appears to have no clear strategy to break the deadlock.

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