England: Thomas Tuchel makes light of criticism of World Cup semi-final substitutions | OneFootball

England boss claimed “99.9 per cent of the fans don’t speak about substitutions”

Thomas Tuchel joked he “got told off” for his defensive substitutions in England’s defeat, but says he has the full support of the Football Association following a post-tournament review.

The German faced heavy criticism for his tactics as England sat on a 1-0 lead against Argentina and paid the ultimate price by conceding two goals in the final stages in Atlanta.

Amid public anger at the time, Tuchel received support from the FA, and that has been sustained during post-tournament debriefs.

“I got told off, of course, for the substitutions that I made. Just joking,” Tuchel said when asked how discussions with his bosses had gone.

“We had several reviews, which is good to do, which is a bit unusual to do because you don’t have the time in club football to do so many reviews, but it’s a part of moving forward and it’s a part of learning.

“It’s sometimes painful, sometimes emotional, sometimes beautiful, because people speak up and they speak about situations, about moments that you had not so high on your priority list that meant a lot to them.

“I can just tell you very honestly that I felt the full support from all my bosses through the World Cup, through the whole tournament.

“There was a very special moment before the Mexico game where we had a talk, and my bosses told me, ‘We know anything can happen in a football match, and we know anything can happen in a match in Mexico in a World Cup match. But don’t worry, we see what’s going on, and we want to continue like this’.

“This was a beautiful moment for me as a coach, and I felt this kind of freedom to take my choices and to just coach freely, and there was never a doubt in my mind that we will continue together. And there was obviously never a doubt in their mind.

“We have critical reviews that will stay, of course, behind closed doors.

“I am the biggest critic of myself, and reflection is sometimes necessary to get better, and experience is a crucial part of coaching.”

Tuchel insists interactions with fans have been positive, with the focus on the memorable win against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium and the late turnaround victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“I tell you something. Like 99.9 per cent of the fans don’t speak about substitutions, tactical twists, and tactical things,” he said.

“They speak about where they have watched the Mexico game. They speak about the second half, the energy of the Croatia match.

“They speak about how nerve-wracking it was to watch our match against (DR) Congo and where they celebrated.

“This is what we created, and this is how it should be.”

Following the Nations League campaign, which starts against World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on September 26, England will head into qualification for Euro 2028 as co-hosts.

Tuchel is not yet looking towards the 2030 World Cup and his previously stated aim of adding another star to the shirt.

“No, not at the moment,” he said. “Because you only get the star for a World (Cup), and my contract is until the Euros.

“So, at the moment, the target is to finish the cycle of the Nations League, try to win it and build on what we have.

“I feel it’s not a new beginning that we are starting now. We build on a solid and very valuable foundation and the target is to win the home Euros, of course.”