Following England's heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals, manager Thomas Tuchel has been heavily criticised for the Three Lions' performance08:29, 17 Jul 2026Thomas Tuchel is reported to have strongly rejected the idea that he instructed the England players to be more defensive after taking the lead in the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. The Three Lions suffered a crushing 2-1 loss to the reigning world champions in Atlanta on Wednesday night.‌Anthony Gordon had given England the lead in the second half after latching onto a Morgan Rogers cross.‌However, Argentina responded with late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to knock England out of the World Cup.‌England had a 1-0 lead until Fernandez equalised for Argentina in the 85th minute, before Martinez went on to score the winner for his country in stoppage time.Tuchel and the Three Lions have been criticised for the defensive approach to England’s game after the opening goal from Gordon.But The Telegraph report that Tuchel privately rejects the suggestion that he asked the England players to try and hold onto their lead after Gordon’s goal.‌Instead, it is claimed that Tuchel wanted his players to play higher, with the Football Association (FA) still believed to back the Three Lions boss.Since the defeat, Tuchel’s future as England boss has been the subject of speculation, with the German going on to defend the tactics used in the game."You can discuss this with a million coaches [but] I have to make a decision on the pitch,” he said.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page"I analysed the match and I did it a certain way so that's my responsibility. In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything and we were very, very close. We deserved to be up 1-0.‌"We played one of our better matches, maybe our best match in the circumstances. The team was top, we couldn't get over the line but no regrets."When quizzed about his future, Tuchel added: “First of all, the World Cup is not over. There is still a match to play, that we are not looking forward to so much to but there is still a match to play.“Of course then we keep on going. I have a contract until the home Euros and I’m looking forward to that even like now it is difficult to look that far ahead.”Article continues belowEngland will now prepare to face France on Saturday night in Miami in the third-place play-off, before the Three Lions squad returns home to begin their summer breaks.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent