From Southgate to Tuchel: Has Anything Changed for England?

England's 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina in the World Cup felt all too familiar. Critics pointed to pragmatic tactics, poor use of substitutes, sitting too deep, and a crushing loss when facing the first major opponent of the tournament. These were well-known—if sometimes unfair—criticisms of Sir Gareth Southgate's England teams. But this time, the manager was Thomas Tuchel, the German brought in to signal a change of approach and deliver England's first World Cup in 60 years. With comparisons being drawn between Tuchel and his predecessor, what has really changed?

Tuchel's Predecessor Critique

In March 2025, Tuchel was asked about England's Euro 2024 campaign under Southgate. He did not hold back. Tuchel felt England lacked "a clear playing style." When asked what was missing, he listed: "The identity, the clarity, the rhythms, the repetition of patterns, the freedom of players, the expression of players, the hunger. [England] were more afraid to drop out of the tournament, in my observation, than having the excitement and hunger to win it."

Fast forward 16 months, and Tuchel's analysis could be applied to his own team's 2-1 loss to Argentina.

Tuchel's System-First Approach

Tuchel took a system-first approach to international management. His World Cup squad left out technical talents like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Before considering raw quality or star names, Tuchel had a specific team in mind, leaning on tactics and "repetition of patterns." He selected players he felt could best carry out roles in his system.

This led to debates before the tournament about whether Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers would play as the number 10, or whether Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford would start on the left wing. Tuchel selected similar profiles to maintain squad style, banking on plan A—which ultimately did not work. By the end, partly due to injuries, Rogers and Bellingham shared the pitch, with one on the right wing.

Key Principles

The "identity" of his side was meant to come from a few key principles. Tuchel and assistant coach Anthony Barry borrowed ideas from the current Premier League: building up short, enticing pressure, playing quickly across midfield—through powerful carrying or long balls—to find runners in attack against fewer defenders. England attempted this every game with varying success. The second half of the 4-2 win against Croatia in the opening match was the closest example of Tuchel's ideal.

Another emphasis was using wide triangles to create chances, with Tuchel reluctant to build through the center. Rotations and runs between full-back, central midfielder, and winger before reaching the byline were supposed to be the main method of chance creation. But despite efforts, it did not come to fruition.

Contrasting Philosophies

Tuchel's top-down approach differed greatly from Southgate's bottom-up approach. This partly explains Tuchel's view that Southgate's side lacked identity, clarity, rhythm, or repeated patterns. Southgate likely did not rely on a predetermined attacking strategy, so his attack was less clear or repetitive—but because he took a player-first approach.