Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew gave a detailed and horrific takedown of everything Thomas Tuchel got wrong during England's World Cup defeat to Argentina
Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew has issued a scathing – and very detailed – analysis of exactly what Thomas Tuchel did wrong in England's World Cup defeat last night.
Making his daily appearance on TalkSPORT's Hawksbee and Jacobs show, the ex-Newcastle and West Ham boss, who managed Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni at the latter club, gave what he called an “FA report” on the game. England lost 2-1 to Argentina, and Pardew has laid the blame squarely at the feet of boss Thomas Tuchel in a “five facts” manner.
The first fact was a rather positive one, as he claimed that Tuchel set the team up to play “positive” football, and that playing Morgan Rodgers, Djed Spence and John Stones was “justified”. He said: “Argentina looked rattled and overhyped. The referee was poor and was so lenient with continuous fouling. The first half was intriguing, actually, and Anderson around Messi had worked, although disgracefully, he got the first booking.
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“The second period, we remained the same up until we scored from a long Harry Kane pass into a vacant channel that I suggest was a tactical decision. Our reaction to that goal was poor. Argentina fuelled by a desire to push and work us over.”
In full, his other four facts – which were all focussed on Thomas Tuchel's tactical failings, were:
Fact two: “Had Scaloni covered the faults made by Mexico and Norway when England had taken the lead? And the answer to that is emphatically, yes he would have. I worked with him. There's no way he wouldn't have gone over those facts.
“They worked the backline by overloading the sides, now putting dipping crosses into our box and working shooting from the edge. Goalie and post saved us before breakthrough.”
Fact three: “72 minutes, three offensive changes by Argentina, which you would expect. We changed Konsa for Gordon. Right there was our biggest mistake. No offensive substitution at that time.
“Playing a semi-final, and we didn't use Saka, by the way, who was fit, to give us an outlet. So no tactical tweak to control possession and clear our box.”
Fact four: “82 minutes, we changed Burn for James, O'Reilly for Rice. Rogers went to wing-back, O'Reilly to midfield. The team was now completely hamstrung as an offensive force.”
Fact five: “Two players, Rogers and O'Reilly, playing positions never, ever played before. One as a wing-back and one as a tight man, three midfield. 85-minute goal, 93rd-minute winning goal. 96 minutes, Rashford and Toney, far too late.”
In conclusion, he added, he put it down to “fear, mistakes and the loss of rational organisation,” adding “In truth, the manager fed a negative mindset.”
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