Tuchel's press conference statement sparked heated debate among fans. He claimed that when reflecting on England's World Cup campaign, 99.9% of English fans wouldn't discuss player substitutions or tactical decisions, but would only focus on the team's positive moments. Matt Law, a renowned reporter for The Telegraph, wrote that Tuchel's press conference statement was carefully structured and heavily rehearsed, and that his ideas were unrealistic, suggesting he won't listen to fan opinion.

Matt Law's Original Article

Over the past two months, we've all certainly encountered that 0.1% of English fans.

According to Thomas Tuchel's view, 99.9% of English fans only want to discuss the team's highlights: the match against Mexico, the second half against Croatia, and even the comeback win against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The last thirty minutes against Argentina—the moment when England lost their chance at the World Cup final with their own hands?

Tuchel claims that only 0.1% of fans would think about that.

About a week after the Argentina match, I ran into my son's former primary school teacher at a field at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, and he was undoubtedly part of that minority.

Besides wishing my son a smooth transition to secondary school, he talked about only one thing the entire time: why Tuchel was still able to keep his job after the loss to Argentina. I found myself inadvertently defending him, perhaps because he hadn't adjusted to jet lag yet.

The same went for my group of friends. While enjoying music and cider at the festival, nobody dwelled on that night at the Azteca Stadium.

Everyone wanted an explanation for Tuchel's tactical decisions.

Nobody mentioned the matches against Croatia or Congo to me.

If what Tuchel said were true, then everyone I met would be "the wrong person."

"Let me tell you, around 99.9% of fans won't talk about substitutions, tactical changes, or things like that," Tuchel said. "They'll talk about where they watched the Mexico match, the second half of that game, the atmosphere of the Croatia match; how nervous they were watching the Congo match, and where they celebrated.

"That's the purpose of the World Cup: to connect people and give them unforgettable experiences. And that's the feedback I'm getting from fans."

If he truly believed that fans wouldn't discuss his substitution decisions against Argentina, why did Tuchel appear to have a pre-prepared joke, downplaying the issue?

When Tuchel announced his squad for the first time after the World Cup, FA technical director John McDermott sat in the back row of the press conference room. When Tuchel answered questions about the World Cup review, McDermott laughed along.

"Of course, I received plenty of criticism over my substitutions, which I made at that time," Tuchel joked. He walked into the press conference room at Wembley with some notes in his hand.

The joke drew some laughter from those present, but the entire narrative felt heavily rehearsed. More oddly, Tuchel occasionally glanced at his notes while speaking.

He clearly deliberately steered the conversation in a positive direction, bringing up what he called the "fan base" again, and mentioning the bronze medal match against France to support his argument.

"Looking back at the 6-4 victory over France, fans who discussed that match said it was one of their best viewing experiences," Tuchel said. "So perhaps I need to let go of my desire to control everything, embrace more uncertainty, and embrace the chaos. Maybe that way I can bring out the best in the team."

The entire speech felt scripted, and his ideas seemed disconnected from reality. It appears Tuchel's long-standing relationship with senior FA officials may have contributed to this unrealistic perspective. It emerged that before the victory over Mexico, senior FA officials had assured him that his position was secure.

"There was a very special moment before the Mexico match. We had a conversation, and my boss told me: 'We know anything can happen in football, especially at a World Cup in Mexico. But you don't need to worry—we understand the current situation and want to continue working with you,'" he said.

"As a coach, that moment meant a great deal to me. I got the freedom to make decisions and coach without limitations. I never doubted that we would continue working together, and clearly they didn't doubt it either.

"Of course, we'll do a critical review, but all of that happens behind closed doors. I'm my own harshest critic, and reflection is vital for improvement. Gaining experience is also an important part of coaching, and that's where we are right now."

It seems Tuchel hasn't truly listened to the widespread criticism from outside. He appears to place more value on the opinions of that 99.9% of fans he mentioned—whose voices are rarely heard externally.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com