From Southgate to Tuchel – has anything changed?

England's exit from the 2026 World Cup at the semi-final stage, losing 2-1 to Argentina under new manager Thomas Tuchel, has prompted comparisons with the pragmatic, cautious football long associated with his predecessor, Sir Gareth Southgate. Tuchel was appointed specifically to overhaul England's approach and end a 60-year wait for the trophy, yet critics note that many of the flaws he himself once identified in Southgate's teams—lack of identity, over-caution and fear of elimination—reappeared in his own side's defeat, raising questions about how much has genuinely changed.

Tuchel took a system-first approach, prioritising tactical fit over individual talent, which led him to omit players such as Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold from his squad. He built his plans around specific roles and "repetition of patterns," borrowing ideas from the modern Premier League, including quick central play and wide triangles involving full-backs, midfielders and wingers to create chances. While the second-half display in a 4-2 opening win over Croatia showed glimpses of this system working, injuries later forced changes—such as Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham playing together—and the intended style struggled to click consistently, culminating in the Argentina defeat.