Thomas Tuchel has defended his tactical decisions following England’s heartbreaking 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.

The German head coach insists that the team’s downfall was caused more by the players’ inability to control the match than by his substitutions.

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England took the lead 10 minutes into the second half, with Anthony Gordon turning home a low cross from Morgan Rogers.

The Three Lions looked to be in a strong position, but the game slipped away late on as Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a sensational comeback.

The reigning champions scored twice in eight minutes to book their place in the final and end England’s hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

Tuchel has been heavily criticised for his in-game decisions since England’s exit.

With less than 20 minutes left on the clock, he replaced Gordon with Ezri Konsa and switched the system to a back five. He then brought on two more defenders as Argentina piled on the pressure.

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Those decisions backfired as Messi set up Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to turn the game on its head and send England packing.

Despite the backlash, Tuchel believes the result was not due to his tactical approach.

Instead, he pointed to a lack of confidence and composure when his side needed to keep possession and slow Argentina’s momentum.

“I think ball possession plays a crucial role,” he said (via the Daily Mail). 

“It’s maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish, Argentinian or Brazilian DNA. To take the ball and control the game and the ball, which is also a big problem.

“But like in every structure, it was important to stay active and push out and fight duels. 

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“We just couldn’t. I think in this moment my feeling is that no structure in the world could have helped us because we were too passive. We were not physical enough.”

Despite the disappointment, the Football Association (FA) have decided to back Tuchel, who extended his contract before the World Cup.

Tuchel is confident that England has the technical ability to compete with the best teams in the world but has made it clear that there is still plenty of room for improvement.