Thomas Tuchel's position as England manager is under intense scrutiny after his side suffered a painful semi-final defeat to Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, sparking calls for his dismissal from at least one prominent former England international.

England appeared to be heading for the final when Anthony Gordon fired in the opening goal just before the hour mark. However, Enzo Fernandez drew Argentina level before Lautaro Martinez — with Lionel Messi influential throughout — delivered a stoppage-time winner that sent England crashing out to a third-place play-off against France.

Murphy's damning verdict

Much of the post-match fury has centred on Tuchel's in-game decision-making — specifically his choice to withdraw goalscorer Gordon in favour of defender Ezri Konsa after England took the lead, with the team visibly dropping deeper toward goalkeeper Jordon Pickford.

Danny Murphy, speaking on the BBC ahead of England's bronze-medal match against France, did not hold back. "It was a terrible performance second half," he said. "I think they went out with a whimper rather than on their shields."

Murphy drew a pointed comparison to the tenure of Tuchel's predecessor, Gareth Southgate, who faced similar criticism for overly cautious tactics during major tournaments. "He's failed, and he's failed in the same way we've failed before," Murphy said. "It's the biggest tournament in the world and he had his opportunity. I think he probably will get the vote of confidence, but I think we should make a change."

The former Liverpool midfielder also expressed sympathy for the England players. "I think they will be so devastated. They were so close. They had the game in their hands, they had control. They're missing out on the World Cup final tomorrow because of the tactics."

What comes next for England?

Despite Murphy's calls for change, the expectation is that Tuchel will remain in charge heading into the next international cycle. A credible replacement is not immediately obvious — Pep Guardiola has been linked with the role following his departure from Manchester City, but whether he is ready to take on international management so soon remains an open question.

England came agonisingly close to a first World Cup final appearance in decades. When the dust settles, there may yet be positives to take from this tournament run — but for now, the manner of the semi-final exit has left supporters and pundits deeply frustrated.