United States President Donald Trump has questioned England manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactical decisions following the Three Lions’ FIFA World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, suggesting that captain Harry Kane was deployed too deep instead of being allowed to focus on his attacking role.
Speaking after the match, Trump, who revealed that he had previously played golf with Kane, praised the England captain before criticizing Tuchel’s approach.
“You have a great player in England, who I played golf with. He is Harry Kane,” Trump said.
“Maybe England made a mistake when they put him as a defensive player. They took a lead and they put their best player at defending?” he added.
Trump’s remarks came after England surrendered a first-half lead to lose to Argentina, ending the team’s hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup final. His comments have since fueled debate over Tuchel’s tactical decisions during the closing stages of the match, with some fans and pundits questioning whether England became too defensive after taking the lead.
Despite the criticism, Tuchel has defended his tactical approach, insisting he has no regrets over the decisions made during the game. The England manager maintained that every substitution and positional adjustment was based on the demands of the match and the condition of his players.
The defeat means England will now compete in the third-place playoff, while Argentina advanced to the World Cup final, where they will face Spain.
