England's World Cup exit has left a deep wound, with Harry Kane stating that it hurt more than any other. Thomas Tuchel's tactics and approach have come under fire, with many questioning his decision-making. The Guardian Football reports that Tuchel tried to get his players to keep attacking Argentina when England took the lead but saw them retreat instead.
The system, not Tuchel, led to World Cup failure, but Euro 2028 offers new hope. England can learn from being five minutes from the final and have home advantage and good players for the next tournament. A World Cup is an examination of an entire sporting culture, and victory rewards decisions made at structural and economic levels. Nations with coaching cultures win things.
Tuchel chose not to rewire the team's approach on the hoof, instead opting to lean into what they had. This decision has been widely criticised, with many suggesting that it was a crucial mistake. The lack of a clear English way of playing and the absence of an English coaching school have also been highlighted as issues. The Premier League is a portmanteau culture of borrowed influences, and Tuchel's appointment was seen as a way to shortcut the development of a functioning culture.
The real issue is not Tuchel's choices, but the fact that elite English football can't produce a Tuchel of its own. The national team needs to focus on developing a functioning culture rather than trying to game the system. England have a good chance of winning something two years from now, but the task will be to separate the job from its expectations. The next step for England will be to assess their performance and identify areas for improvement, building a clear way of playing and a functioning culture.