Gary Lineker hits out at Thomas Tuchel’s tactics that failed to stop Lionel Messi
- England were defeated 2-1 by Argentina in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday, despite initially taking a 1-0 lead through Anthony Gordon.
- Lionel Messi played a pivotal role in Argentina’s comeback, providing two late assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to secure their team’s place in the final.
- England manager Thomas Tuchel faced significant criticism for his tactical decisions, particularly for introducing three defensive substitutes in the second half, which critics argued allowed Argentina to take control of the match.
- Former England striker Gary Lineker described England’s tactics as “unfathomable”, questioning why the team played so deep against Messi and afforded him excessive space to create opportunities.
- Micah Richards also criticised Tuchel, stating he “got it wrong” by making the team defend too deep and failing to provide an attacking outlet, despite Tuchel reportedly retaining the Football Association’s backing until Euro 2028.
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