Wayne Rooney warned us. After England defeated Mexico at the Azteca, the dominant narrative described it as a blend of tactical brilliance and heroism, showcasing Thomas Tuchel’s establishment of a “brotherhood.” England managed to stifle a charged atmosphere, cope with high altitude, and regroup following Jarell Quansah’s red card. Jude Bellingham shone, Anthony Gordon displayed relentless energy, and Dan Burn’s contributions led some to suggest he should be the next England captain.

Rooney, however, expressed skepticism about Tuchel’s tactics. In the 74th minute, despite leading 3-2 but being down to 10 players, England relinquished all attacking intentions. Burn came on for Elliot Anderson, bringing a more defensive strategy, and England reverted to a 5-3-1 formation, focusing on defending rather than attacking.

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The defensive effort proved spectacular, with Rooney praising the players: “They showed attitude, grit, desire – everything you would have wanted an England team to show, they showed tonight,” he said on BBC Sport. “We were the better team until the red card and then we showed a lesson in heading the ball out of the box, blocking shots, just brilliant.”

However, in the closing moments, England faced nearly half an hour of intense defending. Their passing game disappeared, and they abandoned any commitment to attacking Mexico’s goal. Despite their stubborn resistance, Mexico’s inability to adapt led to a frozen scoreline. Instead of drawing England defenders out of position, Mexico opted for crosses, ignoring the towering presence of Burn.

“I thought it was a bit early to drop in and concede, ‘We’re not going to have the ball at all’,” Rooney noted. “We defended the box brilliantly, but Mexico played into our hands by putting balls in the box and allowing us to head it out, for Pickford to come and punch and take the pressure off his teammates. I think if Mexico played a little bit more around the box, and made us try and get to the ball, it would have been more difficult.”

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Fast forward a couple of weeks to the 72nd minute of England’s semi-final against Argentina, where Tuchel again employed a similar tactic. This time, Ezri Konsa replaced Anthony Gordon. There was no red card to trigger panic, yet England again withdrew into a deep 5-4-1 formation, effectively abandoning any attacking ambitions.

This left Argentina in a straightforward position. Like Mexico before them, they no longer needed to focus on their defensive duties. This pattern was also evident against Norway in the quarter-finals when Burn entered the game with about 12 minutes remaining. Unlike Mexico, Norway, and Argentina exploited England’s cautiousness.

Lionel Messi quickly identified weaknesses, especially on the left side of England’s compact midfield. He consistently created opportunities, while Mexico and Norway had struggled. Messi’s clever assists led to opportunities, including Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser and Lautaro Martinez’s goal.

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England faced additional challenges when defending during the tournament. Tuchel’s hesitance to substitute Harry Kane and Bellingham meant they hardly counterattacked while protecting narrow leads, situations that might have benefitted from Ollie Watkins or Marcus Rashford.

This issue is not new for England. Historically, they have sat back on leads, inviting pressure. A notable example dates back to Euro 2000, when England raced to a 2-0 lead against Portugal before retreating deep into their own half, granting opportunities to the opposing team.

Tuchel was brought in to change this pattern, yet England players may now finish fourth in the tournament and return home to hear criticisms that the manager’s decisions cost them the World Cup.

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This perspective might be oversimplified and shaped by hindsight following the final result. However, a similar sentiment emerged following the Mexico match: England experienced acclaim for their defensive tenacity because they won, while Mexico failed to capitalize on their chances. Rooney had raised concerns about the game’s details but went unheeded.