World champions Spain’s visit to Wembley on Saturday is a painful reminder to England of what might have been, but Thomas Tuchel needs a positive response to silence criticism of how the Three Lions’ World Cup ended. Had England held out for the final five minutes plus stoppage time against Argentina two months ago, they would have met Spain in the World Cup final. Instead Tuchel’s men conceded twice after he had attempted to batten down the hatches with a series of defensive substitutions.
Saka’s non-inclusion, even off the bench, during the World Cup semi-final was one of the many reasons to question Tuchel’s judgement. just days later Saka scored a hat-trick against France in a 6-4 victory to secure the consolation of third place Although troubled by fitness concerns during the tournament. A 3-2 victory over Mexico in their own iconic Azteca Stadium will live long in the memory, while England twice came from behind to win knockout matches at a World Cup for the first time since 1966.
“There’s not much sense in torturing ourselves looking back,” said Tuchel when announcing his squad for four Nations League games over the coming weeks. Despite the criticism, Tuchel said his own interactions with supporters since the World Cup have been positive.
