Former England midfielder Danny Murphy believes Thomas Tuchel should not continue as England head coach despite guiding the Three Lions to their best FIFA World Cup finish in 60 years, insisting the German’s tactical decisions in the semi-final defeat to Argentina denied the team a place in the final. England responded to their last-four disappointment by defeating France 6-4 in an entertaining third-place playoff, with Bukayo Saka returning to the starting XI and scoring a hat-trick after being left out against Argentina. Despite securing the bronze medal, Murphy argued that England’s overall campaign should not be considered a success. “He will keep his job, but I don’t think he should. He has failed. They are missing out on a World Cup final because of the tactics. They will be devastated,” Murphy told BBC Sport. The former Liverpool midfielder was particularly critical of England’s cautious approach in the second half against Argentina. He felt Tuchel failed to make the most of the attacking quality available in the squad by leaving several key forwards on the bench. “There are so many incredibly, wonderfully gifted footballers in our squad and that was why it was so disappointing in that second half against Argentina, because most of them weren’t on the pitch. “The frustrating thing is this level of forward thinking and creativity just wasn’t there against Argentina,” he added. Former England defender Stephen Warnock echoed those concerns, claiming England became overly defensive after taking the lead against the eventual finalists. He also questioned Tuchel’s decision to leave Bukayo Saka out of the starting line-up for the semi-final. “We all thought Thomas Tuchel was going to be the guy who took the handbrake off. Just disappointed that we retreated so quickly in that game,” Warnock said. Warnock also highlighted the absence of pace in England’s attack, arguing that Saka and Marcus Rashford could have caused Argentina far greater problems. “I think, where was the pace against Argentina? The performance from Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford and their ability to stretch the pitch… Pace kills anyone. It’s a defender’s worst nightmare, and it is so hard to defend against,” he added. Tuchel’s side ultimately finished third after overcoming France in a high-scoring playoff, but the debate over England’s tactical approach in the semi-final defeat to Argentina continues, with former internationals questioning whether the team could have gone one step further with a more attacking strategy.
