Some England Players Unhappy with Tuchel's Tactics as Coach Questions Team Identity

Defeat means England's men will not have reached a World Cup final for at least 64 years

The main topic of discussion among Thomas Tuchel's team is England's defensive retreat during their heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

According to several sources who spoke with BBC Sport, a number of important players were dissatisfied with the way the squad handled the game's closing moments.

Tuchel, however, has stated that "it's maybe not in our DNA…to control the game and ball" and that it was never the intention to go deeper.

With 35 minutes remaining, England was ahead 1-0 and were headed for their first men's World Cup final since 1966.

However, the change in momentum was shocking. Argentina's decision to start chasing the game was understandable, but England has come under fire for giving their opponents the upper hand.

Tuchel, the manager of England, set up a back-five to protect his team's lead, but it was reversed in the last moments due to constant pressure from Argentina.

The loss "started from the manager and the decisions he made," according to BBC Sport analyst Wayne Rooney.

Do the players feel England went too deep too early?

After the loss in Atlanta, players saw their families and loved ones right after, and it's clear that there was a strong feeling at the time that the team's setup after winning contributed to their demise.

At least three senior players have reportedly voiced private complaints to BBC Sport on the team's final-stage tactics.

It is acknowledged that players have a natural tendency to give up ground on the pitch when defending a lead.

However, some players are thought to agree that Tuchel's tactical changes and replacements made their defensive retreat worse.

Some players feel that the squad ought to have been given more freedom to press the ball in the final moments in an attempt to at least try to push Argentina away from their goal, if only to give the defence a little rest.

However, some players disagreed with the strategy, even if they saw it as the squad only rearranging their defence and clearing their lines.

Some players undoubtedly feel that they could have been more daring and bold in those final moments—not necessarily to go all out for a second, but to find a balance between withstanding the Argentine pressure and giving their opponents something to worry about in attack.

One source said: "They went too deep too early."

Naturally, it is not unusual for players to disagree with their manager's strategy.

Even if they disagree with the instructions, professional football players are accustomed to following them.

However, some of the players' displeasure with the way England was told to end the match presents an intriguing picture for the remainder of Tuchel's tenure.

Never the plan to drop deeper and deeper, says Tuchel

In fresh comments given to British newspapers, Tuchel was asked in detail about the tactics and approach.

"I haven't seen the data yet but I think right after the goal, the momentum swings completely in ball possession, chances and it drops dramatically," he said. "We got too passive within our structure. I tried to help, not to become more passive with a back five but to be more active, to be quicker out to the wingers, not to open up the gaps between the back four. "We encouraged everyone to step out, to be more active within the structure, but we just struggled.

"We couldn't find any duels any more which was why we dropped deeper and deeper, which was never the plan but it happened.

"We needed to get back on the ball otherwise you cannot break the pressure and you cannot get the momentum back."

Tuchel said ball possession "plays a crucial role". "It's maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish DNA or Argentinian or Brazilian DNA to take the ball, control the game and the ball, which is also a big problem," he said.

"I still think we can show how good football players we are. I think that is still in us, as I see it in training and in every camp."

The idea behind Tuchel's appointment was that he would be the one to help England cross the finish line.

Although Gareth Southgate had made it to two European Championship finals and one World Cup semifinal during his tenure, Tuchel's tactical skill was thought to be the key to turning England from near-men to winners.

However, there will be an interesting player-manager dynamic going into the European Championship qualifying campaign due to some players' belief that Tuchel made a mistake in Atlanta.

Although Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham still fully supports Tuchel, the criticism the German has received since the loss to Argentina won't have gone unnoticed.

When England returns home following their bronze medal match against France on Saturday, the FA will, as usual, evaluate their performance in the tournament.

Even if the FA still considers England's run to the semi-final to be an accomplishment, there is obviously more to learn about the circumstances surrounding their defeat to Argentina.