Following England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, a narrative has emerged attributing the loss to alleged endemic weaknesses in English football's approach to possession. However, Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew argues that coach Thomas Tuchel has avoided accountability by characterising possession-based football as incompatible with English DNA, when the loss instead reflects his own tactical choices and in-game substitutions that undermined the team's position.

Through detailed analysis of the crucial 13 minutes after England's opening goal, Liew demonstrates the team's situation remained substantially more manageable than subsequent commentary suggests. Argentina's pressure, whilst notable, consisted of routine defensive sequences; England retained attacking opportunities and had pressed Argentina back into their own third by the 61st minute. The loss, according to this examination, resulted from poor decision-making and player fatigue rather than any fundamental national inadequacy, rendering Tuchel's deflection of blame particularly evasive.