England’s latest World Cup heartbreak, a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta, has triggered a familiar inquest. Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and substitutions have been heavily scrutinised, yet Gary Neville insists the blame cannot rest solely with the England manager.

Anthony Gordon’s sharp finish early in the second half had put England in control, only for Tuchel to respond by withdrawing the winger on 72 minutes for defender Ezri Konsa. The change signalled a retreat. England sank deeper, Argentina advanced, and late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez turned the tie on its head, sending the holders into the final against Spain.

Neville, speaking on television duty, acknowledged Tuchel’s missteps but framed them within a wider, long-standing English problem.

He argued that the pattern was painfully familiar: an early lead, a team dropping back towards its own box, and an inability to keep the ball under pressure. Neville drew on his own experience across eight tournaments as player and coach, recalling repeated exits marked by the same psychological and technical shortcomings.

Tuchel, he said, had tried to close out the game in the same compact, resilient style that worked with 10 men against Mexico. This time, under an “avalanche of pressure” and a stream of dangerous crosses, England were undone by superior quality, with Lionel Messi’s influence decisive in the build-up to Argentina’s winner.

Neville was particularly frustrated by how England allowed Messi to drift into space on the right, even in a 5-4-1 shape. The issue, he suggested, was not simply defensive substitutions but defenders failing to engage the game’s most dangerous player.

While rejecting calls for Tuchel to go, Neville said the manager must reflect on key choices: selecting a largely counter-attacking squad, omitting or underusing technical midfielders such as Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo, and declining to introduce Bukayo Saka or Marcus Rashford to stretch Argentina late on.

Off the pitch, Neville also found himself in a spat with Argentina and Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, who branded him “stupid” for previously describing Romero and Lisandro Martinez as the “best-worst centre-half pairing in the world”. Neville stood by his assessment, praising their aggression and impact while highlighting the number of goals conceded and insisting Argentina’s success rests above all on Messi’s enduring genius.