After the bitter 2–1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, Thomas Tuchel is facing heavy criticism.

Many observers blamed his tactical decisions, especially the early switch to a back five, for the elimination. However, the England manager firmly rejected those accusations, even with a bit of distance from the match.

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Instead, he sees a more fundamental problem: the “DNA” of English football.

In Tuchel’s view, it was not the formation that caused the defeat, but his team’s lack of ability to keep possession under pressure and control the game.

After taking a 1–0 lead, England completely lost their grip on the match. Possession collapsed, duels were no longer being won, and the team allowed itself to be pushed back further and further.

“You have to get back into possession. Otherwise, you can’t break the pressure or regain the momentum,” Tuchel explained. That, according to the 52-year-old, is the key difference compared to nations like Spain, Argentina, or Brazil.

📸 Justin Setterfield – 2026 Getty Images

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There, it is part of the footballing identity to demand the ball even under maximum pressure and to control the game through possession. England, by contrast, has traditionally had different strengths.

Particularly noteworthy: the English FA already developed a so-called DNA philosophy in 2014. The concept was intended to modernize English football in the long term and focuses on technically strong, tactically intelligent, and possession-oriented players.

Despite these reforms, Tuchel apparently still sees deficiencies when it comes to staying calm on the ball under pressure and dominating games through ball control.

And among other things, that is also one of the reasons why Tuchel himself is not thinking about quitting, but is “one hundred percent” motivated to carry on.

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What do you think? Is England’s “DNA” to blame for the elimination against Argentina? Or would you disagree with Tuchel? Feel free to write it in the comments!

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.