the wolfThings were going so well for England at the World Cup. Anthony Gordon had given them a 55th-minute lead against Argentina in the semi-final.
From here, though, fear seemed to strike. The Three Lions sat deeper and deeper, inviting all sorts of pressure until they finally caved. Enzo Fernandez lashed in an equaliser with five minutes left on the clock.
Thomas Tuchel seemed paralysed as he watched his team concede again, this time in the 92nd minute, as Lautaro Martinez sent England crashing out of the summer tournament. The manner of the defeat was so poor that many called upon the German to immediately quit.
Lionel Messi’s comments were telling: ‘We felt they didn’t want it anymore and we just kept coming.”
It was a disastrous way to end what had otherwise been a good showing from Tuchel and his squad. Addressing the World Cup in his press conference ahead of the upcoming international break, the German managed down played the idea that the loss to Argentina had damaged his reputation among supporters.
In fact, he boldly claimed that ‘99.9 per cent of the fans’ actually were more delighted with the 3-2 win against Mexico at the Azteca, when his men won despite being down to 10 men. He also referenced victories over Croatia and Congo, explaining:
“I’ll tell you something like 99.9 per cent of the fans don’t speak about substitutions, tactical twists and tactical things. They speak about where they have watched the Mexico game. They speak about the second half and the energy of the Croatia match. They speak about how nerve-racking it was to watch our match against Congo and where they celebrated. This is the feedback that I get, and it’s 99.9 per cent.
Suggesting that fallout from the Argentina loss wasn’t something that had reached his ears via the fans he’d spoken to, he added: “This is what we created, and this is how it should be. This is what a World Cup is for, to connect with the people and to give them experiences that they will not forget. And this is the feedback that I get; it makes me proud. Even if it’s just in a cab or in the coffee place or the supermarket, you share these little moments and you understand that it actually meant something and that what the players built was transmitted.”
In particular, Tuchel’s comment about ‘99.9 per cent’ of fans focusing on the positives from the World Cup has sparked fury online. Reacting to the quotes, one supporter said:
“Tuchel just claimed ‘99.9% of England fans are not interested in the substitutions and tactics [v Argentina].’ He adds the feedback he’s had from fans has all been about how exciting it was v Mexico, Congo, etc.
“He’s deluded. Ridiculous that he’s still in charge.”
Another added: “Bump into me. I’ll happily remind him how much he absolutely bottled it…”While a third wrote: “One thing’s for sure… he’d make a great politician. Absolute nonsense this.”
Someone else said: “Oh trust me Thomas we haven’t forgotten Argentina. For me he shouldn’t have the job anymore – it was that bad.”
Summing up the anger, a final fan simply said: “What a liar.”
Bigsam
Empiresam
Badboy
the wolf
xy