Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[TonyD]

I'd have preferred a manager that wasn't suddenly possessed by the ghost of McLiesh and Bruce simultaneously on the 55th minute leading to the most pathetic England display I have seen, culminating with Dan fucking Burn being up front in a World Cup semi final, with 6 other defenders on the pitch.

It was a breathtaking clusterfuck. 
All on him.
It was so bad he needs sacking. 

[Somniloquism]

I doubt he told them to defend for their lives on 55th minute. Argentina were already taking the game to England second half anyway and our goal came slightly against the run of play with a big mistake in the clearance attempt from defender Martinez(?). However at the Ad break he compounded the issue along with Argies replacing the Simeone thug with someone who could actually play. That De Paul change AND Messi dominated that side as Gordon had been withdrawn which meant Anderson was having to go over to help vacating midfield. The few times Rogers went to that side we actually got forward as they had no defence there themselves. Then Tuchel made it even worse with the second round of changes instead of bringing Rashford on he took Rice off weakening Midfield even more, hence the space Fernandez had to score.

[ChicagoLion]

I'd have preferred a manager that wasn't suddenly possessed by the ghost of McLiesh and Bruce simultaneously on the 55th minute leading to the most pathetic England display I have seen, culminating with Dan fucking Burn being up front in a World Cup semi final, with 6 other defenders on the pitch.

It was a breathtaking clusterfuck. 
All on him.
It was so bad he needs sacking.

Agree, it was so bad that he has shredded his reputation more importantly his credibility with the players.
There is no comming back from this.

[john e]

it is still raw the total withdrawal into defensive positions and led by the manager
But when it’s all died down it will morph into exactly what has happened in tournaments before it’s a carbon copy of history repeating itself

Saying that I’ve seen that performance with Villa on a fair few occasions the defensive mentality sets in you lose the ability to control or even kick the ball straight, heads explode with stress and your sitting there knowing what comes next, how many times have we taken the lead against man utd over the last 30 years only to collectively turn into jelly fish wobbling all over the place

Yes it was set by the manager last night his position is untenable now in my view but it’s also a mentality thing which is deep rooted in the psyche and seems to be passed down through the generations

[TonyD]

Yep his position is untenable. 
The fans and the press and the players hang the defeat on him.
Apparently he said it was players psych and DNA that let them down.
He’s toast.

[Mellin]

Yeah, he's gone. FA have been at the top shelf.

[ChicagoLion]

I don’t buy this psyche stuff, it only becomes reality if you choose it to be. There was no lack of belief in that team until Tuchel raised the white flag and ordered the retreat.

[Somniloquism]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cqjxl90x27ro

England's defensive retreat in their agonising World Cup semi-final 2-1 loss to Argentina on Wednesday has become the big talking point – and that topic is also being hotly debated among members of Thomas Tuchel's squad.

A number of sources have indicated to BBC Sport that a clutch of key players were left disappointed at how the team approached the final stages of the game.

Players saw their families and loved ones immediately after the defeat in Atlanta and it is understood there was a definite sense in those moments that the way the team was set-up after going ahead was a contributing factor in their downfall.

BBC Sport is aware of at least three senior players who have complained privately about the team's approach during the closing stages.

There is an acknowledgement that ceding ground on the pitch when defending a lead is a natural instinct for players.

But, equally, there is believed to be a consensus among certain players that Tuchel's tactical switches and substitutions exacerbated their defensive retreat.

Certain players believe the team should have had greater licence to press the ball during the closing stages in an effort to at least try and push Argentina away from their goal – even just to provide some respite for the defenders.

But instead, while some players recognised it as the team simply resorting to clearing their lines and regrouping their shape in defence – it was a tactic some didn't agree with.

There is certainly a sense from some players that they could have been bolder and braver in those closing stages – not necessarily to go hell for leather in search for a second but to strike a balance between withstanding the Argentine pressure but also giving their opponents something to worry about in attack.

One source said: "They went too deep too early."

So some senior players (Kane?, Bellingham?, Pickford?, Stones?) are definitely throwing Tuchel under the bus, even though two of them did fuck all during the match even before we scored. Kane's two contributions was a nice pass out to James and winning a soft foul near our box to relieve some pressure. Pickford did some good shot stopping but definitely initiated a big change in momentum after the goal when he did a bambi in the box, causing some panic and giving the argies confidence. I would say he was in on the tactic of hoofing the ball aimlessly, but that is just his style of play anyway.

Tuchel does take blame as well for leaving the senior players on when they were doing nothing and making the subs which definitely brought on extra pressure.