Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app.Thomas Tuchel was supposed to make the difference.He was the knockout-football specialist. The man who would give England the edge in the latter stages of tournaments. Where predecessor Gareth Southgate had fallen just short on multiple occasions, beaten in two finals and two semi-finals across the previous eight years, Tuchel’s tweaks and tactical acumen would take his adopted national team that bit further and end those 60 years of hurt.And then Argentina and Lionel Messi proved otherwise in Atlanta on Wednesday, when the same passivity that had gripped the team at key moments during Southgate’s tenure returned to undermine the current team’s efforts and jettison them from the 2026 World Cup in another semi-final.So what happens next? Should Tuchel, who is contracted to 2028, be retained in the hope he learns from the mistakes made at this tournament and in the belief that he can still break England’s long trophy drought in that summer’s (largely) home European Championship? Or should the Football Association cut their losses and dispense with his services after 18 months?We asked The Athletic’s team of writers for their views. Give yours in the comments section at the bottom.This has been a humbling tournament for Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel. Both joined Brazil and England at short notice, as if time on task was not an issue. The superstar coaches did not deliver.Remember, Tuchel even deferred his start date. Frankly, I never got the impression he feels like this England team is truly his own.Maybe it’s just radical honesty. Maybe the way his assistant Anthony Barry talked about them at half-time against Croatia in the opening group game and Tuchel’s words in the aftermath of the win against Norway in the quarter-final should be considered normal in a high-performance environment.At the same time, I was left with the impression that the coaches weren’t able to influence the players as much as they’d like. They didn’t see themselves or their work in how the team played.Part of me doesn’t want to overreact to the last 20 minutes of a semi-final against the world champions.I continue to be stunned at how quick people are to say this Argentina side are beatable. It’s a convincing illusion. This is a team that has won every competition they have played in since 2021. They have won back-to-back Copas America and are now into consecutive World Cup finals. Yet we carry on doing that English thing of insisting they’re not all that.I’d debrief Tuchel, find out if he is still compatible with the team, then make a judgement. At the end of the day, beating Mexico in the Azteca to make the last eight here felt like the best England moment for a generation. We mustn’t forget it. The lore of that game and how Tuchel won it probably explain the weirdness of his tactics at the end of the semi-final.James HorncastleThomas Tuchel’s substitutions have drawn criticism (Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images)I wasn’t thrilled by his appointment in the first place, I’ve been bewildered by aspects of his approach throughout his 18 months in charge and at no point leading up to the semi-final did I embrace the popular view that some of those eccentric decisions had been vindicated by the outcomes of games that England were largely expected to win.The FA rushed out a vote of confidence last night, just as it rushed to extend his contract to 2028 in February. In both instances, more circumspection was called for. If it had stuck with his original contract, which was to expire after this World Cup, I wouldn’t have been demanding it be extended.As it is, there’s a new deal with a (no doubt expensive) break clause. I wouldn’t shed any tears if the FA activates it, but I’m also inclined to think that Tuchel, as a pragmatist rather than any kind of ideologue, will learn from the mistakes that left him with an unsatisfactory squad, and from the ultra-defensive mindset that played into Argentina’s hands.He’s entirely capable of picking a very different squad and a different tactical approach for Euro 2028. I’m inclined to believe he will. But the FA should be conducting a proper review of England’s World Cup and asking him those questions, rather than rushing to offer what seems like unconditional backing.Oliver KayTuchel shouldn’t have been hired in the first place, and the FA’s rationale for appointing him, that he “gives us the best chance of winning the World Cup”, has been obliterated. Tuchel f***ked up on just about the biggest stage of all last night, calcifying England’s lack of momentum at 1-0 up rather than doing anything to change it. They were winning, and he encouraged them to play like losers.For clarity, my interest in England is distinctly fair-weather these days; I can’t be bothered with qualifying matches that lack jeopardy or the endless bulls*** and psychodrama (I may still have PTSD from covering the “Golden generation” England team), but if I may be permitted to launch myself double-footed and knee-height into that very arena with the full force of a professional hypocrite, I am struggling to think of a more ham-fisted, ineffectual managerial intervention. Be honest, can you?Argentina were great in the second half and Lionel Messi was magisterial, but this was self-defeat and 100 per cent rests on Tuchel’s shoulders.George CaulkinRegardless of what anyone said, Tuchel’s appointment always felt like a short-term move to deliver England from some of the tactical shortcomings that were a fair accusation to level at Southgate. It was geared to success at this World Cup — to getting over the hump and achieving something special, however realistic that was — and his moment arrived in yesterday’s semi-final.Then Tuchel played his part in England repeating history and failing. I’m not sure it’s worth carrying on in the same way now, much like how his England team on the pitch were doomed as soon as Enzo Fernandez equalised. So I say: go.Michael BaileyThomas Tuchel watches England’s chances fizzle out and die in Atlanta (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)I say: stay. Because what is the alternative? There’s no outstanding candidate available to England and, while Tuchel clearly got the second half against Argentina badly wrong, there’s merit in allowing that semi-final to become an instructive experience going forward.There’s a winnable European Championship two years away and he remains one of the best coaches in world football.As disappointing as this situation is, England have been knocked out in a semi-final. They are not Germany, Brazil or Turkey, who all had much worse summers. They did not underperform to a catastrophic degree in getting that far, and dismissing a coach based on a tactical decision with that context in mind feels like an overreaction.Seb Stafford-BloorI totally take on board Seb’s reservations about the lack of an alternative, and I’m worried that my reaction is knee-jerk based on the crushing disappointment of last night. But I still say ‘go’ because there are massive swathes of England fans who, understandably, will never quite get over that same crushing disappointment. And neither, therefore, will Tuchel’s standing in their eyes.He was brought in, at great cost, precisely for situations like yesterday — to add the tactical calmness and analytical mind that Southgate was accused of lacking. And when it came to crunch time, his answer to a small increase in Argentine pressure was to load his team with every big centre-back at his disposal and, when that backfired, to throw on whatever attacking players he could with the substitutions he had left.It is hard to see how he comes back fully from that, even if he stays in post.Steve MadeleyFirst and foremost, Tuchel has a contract for another two years. While there is a performance-related opt-out for the FA based upon this World Cup, the details of that clause are not public and it’s highly unlikely it would be breakable based upon ‘only’ reaching the semi-finals, which would have been considered a good performance at the outset. It surely refers to a failure to progress past the round of 32, for example. So the reality is that England would have to pay Tuchel’s salary for two years, and then someone else’s hefty wages on top. Is there any manager worth doing this for? Probably only Pep Guardiola. Even then, it’s a stretch.Ultimately, this tournament has been a positive for England, and sacking a manager based on a 20-minute spell in their seventh game of the tournament, when England largely retreated against the defending world champions because they were exhausted after the two most difficult physical tests they’ll ever encounter — the altitude of Mexico City, then the heat and humidity of Miami six days later — would be a remarkable call. Some decisions have been debatable, England rarely looked fluent, but Tuchel is a good manager, has embraced the unique challenges of the England job, and there will arguably be no better coach available to lead the team into Euro 2028. Disappointment after last night is inevitable, but the calls to sack the manager for, er, reaching a World Cup semi-final, taking the lead and then being undone late on by Messi strikes me as somewhat extreme.Michael CoxI’m not a fan of knee-jerk responses demanding a manager gets sacked after being roughly 10 minutes away from reaching a World Cup final.This is the pattern for England, though, isn’t it? The disappointment of a tournament defeat always turns to anger and, very quickly, the need for blood-letting. And ‘sack him!’ has been the default setting for years.When you remove the emotion, Michael Cox (above) makes the most sensible argument.I would chuck in two further observations. One, the reaction to beating Mexico in the last 16 — a nation, lest it be forgotten, who have managed a grand total of two World Cup quarter-finals appearances since 1930 — was ridiculously over the top. And, two, newsflash: England are not the best team in the world. Is that such a surprise?That doesn’t mean Tuchel should get a free pass and, of course, there are legitimate questions to be asked about what went wrong against Argentina. Yet it doesn’t always have to be the case that the first of those has to be: should we bin the manager?Daniel TaylorIn a tournament where Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino were all hired, at significant expense, only to go out after mediocre performances and results for their respective teams, a lesson should be learnt.Luis de la Fuente is one game away from doing the Euros and World Cup double with Spain. Lionel Scaloni has turned Argentina into serial champions at continental and global levels. Yet between them, their experience in managing full-time club sides is De la Fuente’s 11-game stint at Alaves in 2011.De la Fuente and Scaloni are products of their respective national federations, managing sides at youth level and helping to establish an identity in playing that transcends individual games and approaches. They each have total conviction in their approaches, conditioned by their internal coaching upbringing, which is shared by their players, with whom they have clear mutual trust and respect.Where does that lead England? Lee Carsley is the natural candidate, having coached at under-20 and then under-21 level for six years. His six games as interim coach post-Soughate and pre-Tuchel in a non-tournament environment prove little, but surely an under-21s coach is appointed with one eye on a later promotion?This formula does not automatically bring success, but surely the lesson from those sides who have won trophies is to trust in your own systems and structure. Contrast the strength of Spain’s identity and team connections to those of England, and that is the gap which must be closed.Colin MillarIs Lee Carsley a viable alternative to Thomas Tuchel? (David Rogers/Getty Images)The reality is he was hired to be different. To be the man who was bold enough to take England to new (modern) heights. To put an end to the complaints that the previous manager was to blame for holding the team back.Instead, his horrendous tactics were even more cautious, negative and sobering. In club football, there’s always next week to make up for a mistake, but I can’t see how he can ever recover as England manager. Wait two years to make up for it? No thanks.Tuchel had his chance and blew it.Gregg EvansSacking a coach or manager is only half of a decision. Who are you then replacing them with? You need a clear upgrade in mind — simply getting rid amid the recriminations that follow a gut-punch of a tournament exit may be cathartic, but these decisions should be guided by the head, not the heart.With all that in mind, if Guardiola wants the job right now, sack Tuchel and don’t think twice. If Pep is unsure, do all you can to convince him. He is an unquestionable upgrade, particularly in relation to what this England team needs.I’m sure Guardiola would sooner scratch out his own eyes than watch one of his teams play as England did in the final half-hour against Argentina. He certainly wouldn’t lean into it with his substitutions. Tuchel aided and abetted England’s hard-coded DNA at major tournaments.The only clear path to real change is appointing Guardiola. Go and get him.Liam TwomeyThe problem is that England need to avoid cutting their nose off to spite their face.Tuchel should walk for doing what Southgate had done at previous tournaments, purely because he’d been as critical as anyone when he took the job. He misread the situation against Argentina tactically and doubled down. For large parts of the World Cup, his subsitutions were good — versus Croatia and Mexico especially — but not so much against Norway and definitely not yesterday. But the problem is replacing him.If not Guardiola, then who? There’s a lack of ready-made English coaches and a home European Championship in two years’ time which might be the final bow for Kane, Jordan Pickford and John Stones. England can, and perhaps should, win that, based on their quality, depth and performances at this tournament.It’s not about whether Tuchel should be sacked for this defeat; it’s a question of whether he’s the man to win Euro 2028.Liam TharmePep Guardiola would be an upgrade, so go and convince him to come (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)Today was the first morning in 29 days that the people of England have woken up without the belief that World Cup success was imminent. Scratch that… 638 days, given that is how long ago it was that Tuchel was appointed. So the emotions towards the German are bound to be raw, especially given the Tuchel-inflicted way in which England exited.Yes, he choked, but so did Guardiola in the 2020-21 Champions League final, ironically against Tuchel’s Chelsea, and nobody was calling for his head at Manchester City then.Guardiola came back and claimed the European title two years later. Looking forward to England’s home Euros in 2028, Tuchel is the ideal candidate. His nationality means the occasion won’t get to him as it may an English coach, and despite how it ended, England looked more ready to take the next step at this tournament than they ever did under Southgate.George EdwardsTuchel should go. That was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a collective moment in England and, instead, his decisions led to an embarrassing surrender that will linger in minds for decades. His reputation in this context feels irrecoverable.The whole reason for hiring him — ahead of English options — was for occasions such as facing Argentina in a World Cup semi-final; to show muscle and tactical shrewdness in pressurised circumstances. Instead, he self-subjugated England, going defensive so early in the second half in a laughably rudimentary manner. It was way more negative than anything Southgate was criticised for doing.Where did the bold Tuchel from the opening group game against Croatia go? It’s as if the win over Mexico made him rethink his whole strategy. But that match at the Azteca was a special set of circumstances and, even then, there is an argument to say introducing technical players to keep hold of the ball would have worked there, too.He neglected that approach against Argentina as well, and the invitation to send on fresh attackers to pose more problems. To assume an inferior role, to curl up in a ball and hope for the best, led to as supine a tournament exit as England have made.De la Fuente and Scaloni have shown you don’t have to be a big name to succeed at international level. Is it wrong to think England should have an English manager?Laurie WhitwellDid Thomas Tuchel make the same mistakes as predecessor Gareth Southgate (above)? (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Go. Tuchel was hired to offer something England had lacked under Southgate: greater authority and the tactical confidence to change the course of a major knockout match. Against Argentina, he did the opposite.England dropped deep far too early, gave up control of the match and invited pressure rather than trying to retain the threat that had put them ahead. For a coach whose reputation was built on winning the Champions League with Chelsea, this was exactly the kind of occasion he was expected to manage well. Of course, the players were tiring, and Argentina were always going to respond, but Tuchel’s substitutions made England passive.He was appointed to move England beyond the caution of the Southgate era. Instead, he repeated it.Amelie ClaydonHope is different to reality.I hope the FA does everything in its power to get Guardiola, because he represents an upgrade on Tuchel. There is no way he would have parked the bus in Wednesday’s circumstances.Reality? I doubt the FA will seize the moment. That being the case, we will probably end up with a downgrade on Tuchel, because I suspect his days are numbered.For 55 minutes in Atlanta, he got everything right. For the rest of the match, he got everything horribly and inexplicably wrong with his substitutions and the message those changes sent to the players. He made it worse in his post-match interview, saying that England needed to keep the ball. The best English ball-keepers were on the bench or had been left at home.The moment came, the type of moment Tuchel was hired for, and he blinked. That probably makes the loss of faith among England fans irretrievable.Andy NaylorThere’s no doubt that Tuchel has to shoulder the blame for repeating the mistakes he was brought in to avoid, blunting England’s attack and leaving an exhausted team to absorb pressure from an attack led by the greatest player of all time for nearly half an hour. The result was as predictable as it was painful, and the knee-jerk reaction is that there’s no way back.But trying to bring calmer thinking to this, the real questions are whether Tuchel can learn from this defeat, and whether the players still think he is the right leader for them.Euro 2028 represents England’s best shot at a major men’s trophy in generations. If Tuchel seriously has no regrets about how the semi-final unfolded, and there is a risk of a similar mistake again, that does not bode well. None of us can bear to watch England choke like that again. But if he can recognise his errors and learn from them, I don’t really see a better alternative on the market except Guardiola, who I’m sure will have woken up on holiday somewhere this morning blissfully unaware he has been mentally hired by half of England.I don’t think it’s accurate to say Tuchel can never win the fans back. Winning the European title in two years’ time would go an awfully long way to doing that, and the FA’s job here is to make decisions based on what is going to get the best out of the players, not how the public feels. A lot should rest on whether the squad still have faith in his tactical acumen and will still fully commit to his game plans after seeing the one for Argentina unravel so catastrophically.Cerys JonesI write this as a stateless participant/observer at this World Cup. It is tempting to think that one of the biggest problems facing English football is the lack of English coaches having the required experience to lead the national team. Yet the finalists at this World Cup, Spain and Argentina, are led by coaches with next to no experience managing at the highest level in club football.There is depth to the coaching systems in both those countries and each presents an array of candidates for the national setup (unlike England), yet the figures in charge of Spain and Argentina at this tournament are largely connected to processes involving their federations. Maybe there is a lesson here. Maybe not.For the time being, the first question the English FA should be asking itself is: if not Tuchel, then who?If Guardiola is available and wants the job, then the answer is simple. If that is not the case, then I am not sure a change now makes much sense, especially when it seems to be very emotional. Before yesterday, nobody was claiming this could be Tuchel’s last game in charge. Though I think the debate that has followed is understandable and fair, his exit should only be contemplated if someone better wants the job. Otherwise, any sacking feels like a punishment.Simon HughesThomas Tuchel was hired to win England the 2026 World Cup (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Tuchel was hired to provide the X factor. Instead, he just provided more of the same.He is paid an awful lot of money to make the difference. Yet his go-to idea with the minutes running out against Argentina was to bring on Dan Burn — nothing against the player himself — to be a big lump in both penalty areas. Depressing stuff.England’s style of play throughout this tournament, not just against Argentina, has been underwhelming. Yes, they have been rightly praised for the great mentality and character shown in the three knockout-phase wins. The emotional high of victory papered over the cracks, though.As an attacking team, England played only in patches. There were flashes of quality, but they were all too brief. When Argentina applied the pressure yesterday, Tuchel and his team applied the handbrake.Would fans have cared if England had won the World Cup this way? Of course not. But now that they have fallen short again, the whole campaign and the decisions made both before and during it have to come under close scrutiny.Tuchel has shown throughout most of his career that his Midas touch only lasts so long. Since a five-year spell at Mainz between 2009-14, he has not stayed anywhere else for longer than two years. I’ve seen him work his magic to win Chelsea the Champions League in 2021. I also saw how the wheels came off before they sacked him 16 months later.Can he inspire the dressing room and the nation again after this? Will he act any differently if England are 1-0 up against France or Spain at the business end of the 2028 European Championship? Trust is easily lost and hard to rebuild.It does not help matters that there have been a few flashpoints with one of England’s most important players in Jude Bellingham.The ‘Who else do they get?’ argument is certainly valid. There has to be a replacement lined up before any decision over removing Tuchel can be made. But if that is the main justification for why he should stay, then it is hard to feel too optimistic about the future.Simon JohnsonI woke up the day after the semi-final having already moved on from Tuchel. The damage is done, the trust is broken, the faith that he is ‘the man’ has evaporated.The man I was thinking about was Guardiola. What would he have done in that situation last night? Find him on a beach somewhere and plead with him.To bring in Tuchel on the premise of him being a ‘knockout’ specialist and for him to fold into a poor man’s Mike Bassett is a damning indictment of the due diligence around the recruitment process.The bond, if it really ever existed, has gone. Time to move on. Operation Pep is go.Adam Leventhal