England 'coming home' without the World Cup because Tuchel tried to be 'Special One' and failed miserably

Thomas Tuchel was five minutes and a few more away from being labelled a 'Special One'. His England side had preserved a precarious 1-0 lead for almost 85 minutes in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Leo Messi's Argentina.

The South Americans scored two late goals to prevail 2-1 and set up a final date with Spain, while England punched their ticket to a trophy-less homecoming.

Had the English bus stayed parked for as long as required, the OG, Jose Mourinho, might have personally shared the sobriquet he coined for himself with the German.

Mourinho was a master of 1-0 wins. His Chelsea sides of 2004-05 and 2005- 06, which won consecutive Premier League titles, were revered for their defensive discipline and tactical control.

Purists accused him of playing anti-football, yet he persisted, throwing in defensive reinforcements as the clock ticked down, all the while constricting the other side.

Tuchel clearly borrowed heavily from Mourinho's playbook as he sacrificed attacking intent for a defensive form against a dangerous Argentine unit that was determined to defend its title, even more purposefully than ever, knowing that this could be Messi's last World Cup.

Football, however, has come a long way since Mourinho's first landing in England. It is alright to keep a low block and soak up pressure if you are the underdog. But England, for their foolish footballing pride, wouldn't want to be dubbed one, not with the wealth of talent they possess.

Try convincing the Arsenal faithful that Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze are not as good as Guiliano Simeone or Julian Alvarez. Even better, tell a Manchester City fan that they spent a British record £116 million on Elliot Anderson, just to make him play the Makelele role.

Because the gifted duo of Saka and Eze remained on the England bench, and Anderson wasted his talent in a deeper role, hoiking long balls and making hurried clearances.

If it is possible to find logic in the above-mentioned travesties, Tuchel's game plan against Argentina could be justified.

The Champions League-winning manager tucked his star-studded England, with a gem of a No 10 in Jude Bellingham and an elite marksman in Harry Kane, into a cocoon.

Up until Anthony Jordan's 55th-minute opener, the game was fought on an even footing. The first half an hour resembled a bout of amateur wrestling with both sides focused on imposing their physicality on the other. The referee Ismail Elfath, known for letting the game flow, did precisely that even as both sets of players threw rash challenges and dragged themselves into off-the-ball combat. The first yellow card was flashed in the 37th minute when Anderson stopped Messi with a rugby-style tackle. For 30 minutes, neither team made any attempt to score. According to stats-keepers Opta, that was the longest wait for a shot in a World Cup match since at least 1966.

Playing the waiting game is, after all, a time-tested norm in knockout football matches, so the lack of urgency was pardonable.

What cannot be forgiven, from England's perspective, is Tuchel parking his bus and throwing the key away after taking the lead. Gordon's goal had opened up previously locked-up spaces on the pitch as Argentina thrust men forward. Nico Gonzalez was introduced into the Argentine attack 10 minutes after England's goal.

Tuchel had to make a decision. Conventional wisdom would have screamed: Twist, don't stick. What logic was there anyway in trying to defend a 1-0 lead for more than 30 minutes?

Tuchel chose to stick and moulded his English formation into a withdrawn 5-4-1, which at times appeared 9-1. Gordon was taken off for Ezri Konsa. Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly followed. Tuchel had started with four defenders and was going to finish with six on the pitch while Argentina bombarded Jordan Pickford's goal.

About 48% of Argentina's attacks came through the right flank, where Messi had slipped into because England had shut the central route. Argentina swung in 20 crosses, five more than England and managed to turn about six of those into goal-scoring opportunities. Lautaro Martinez' headed winner (90+3) came from a delightful Messi cross.

Argentina took three times more shots than England, eight from outside the penalty area, and kept five of those on target, including Enzo Fernandez' powerful hit (85), again from a Messi assist, that drew the game level.

The first Argentina goal was smashed home with such venom by the Chelsea midfielder that it must have felt like a hard right hook for Tuchel. But it was late, and his side was on the ropes as Argentina went for the kill.

Ivan Toney and Marcus Rashford were thrown into the English attack in the dying moments, but it hardly mattered. Tuchel gambled with the jackpot within touching distance but he ended up losing everything.