England is a prisoner of fear… Did Tuchel discover the incurable disease?

Every time England enter a major tournament, old dreams are renewed. The faces on the bench change and the names of the stars inside the green rectangle, but the scene seems to repeat itself in almost the same way. Fans are optimistic and the media talk of an exceptional generation that could bring the World Cup back to the home of football, before those dreams collide with the reality that imposes itself on every real test.

When the FA signed Thomas Tuchel, it seemed to herald the start of a new era. The German coach has a proven record of European success and is known for his ability to build tactically organized teams that can compete at the highest levels. Consequently, many believed that the problem that had plagued England under Gareth Southgate would be a thing of the past, and that the team would take on a bolder and more confident image in the big clashes.

However, over time, the indicators began to go in a completely different direction. The 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the World Cup sent the fans into the next round, but at the same time brought to the surface the same questions that have accompanied the team in recent years. True, the result was positive, but the speech was not convincing. Rather, it turned out that England is still suffering from the same ailments that plagued it under the previous coach.

The victory was achieved thanks to decisive individual moments from the team’s stars, rather than collective control or clear tactical superiority, which has raised fears that a change of coach will not be enough to solve the deep problem of the England team, writes the website “Website”.Jules“.

Since taking charge of the national team, Tuchel has tried to impose his artistic stamp and reshape the team’s identity, but what has emerged on the pitch shows that the gap between him and Southgate is still limited when it comes to performances at major tournaments.

Against the Democratic Republic of Congo, England looked hesitant from the first minutes. The players lacked pace in passing and uncharacteristic passing errors appeared, while the team seemed unable to impose their rhythm on an individual level against lesser-quality opposition.

The African side’s lead was unsurprising given the run of play as they used an organized counter-attack to put the English side under early pressure. There was no reaction after the goal to reflect the character of the title contenders. Rather, it took the players a long time to regain their balance in a game characterized by caution and a fear of making mistakes rather than a desire to create chances.

Although the English team managed to reverse the result in the end, the manner of victory was not encouraging. The team once again relied on the brilliance of Harry Kane, who scored two goals that decided the match, confirming the continuation of the phenomenon of relying on the stars to save the day when the going gets tough.

This is not the first time this has happened. Rather, it has become a constant feature of the England team at major tournaments, where players with individual skills manage to hide many of the collective shortcomings without meaning that the problem has actually gone away.