Alan Shearer raw - Honest take on fierce manager debate that impacts Newcastle United
Thomas Tuchel is under mounting pressure after England slumped to a dismal 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.
Alan Shearer does not believe Thomas Tuchel should face the axe as England manager.
The German has copped most of the blame following the 2-1 defeat to Argentina on Wednesday. After taking a 55th-minute lead, the Three Lions sat back to invite the world champions to attack.
Tuchel made several defensive substitutions in an attempt to grind out a semi-final victory. As it happened, Argentina fought back, with Lionel Messi creating two goals in the dying embers to crush England’s World Cup dream.
Alan Shearer backs Thomas Tuchel
In a column for the BBC, Newcastle United legend Shearer has avoided calling for Tuchel to go. Many high-profile figures in the media have suggested England must act following the World Cup disappointment.
“Like many people, my prediction before this World Cup started was that England would not get further than the last four - but Thomas Tuchel was supposed to prove us all wrong,” Shearer wrote. “Tuchel was hired to win this tournament for England - he said so himself when he took charge of the Three Lions in January 2025.
He was meant to make the difference in the biggest games, to get us past the semi-finals and get us over the line in finals, the times when we have fallen so agonisingly short in recent years. That did not happen in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat by Argentina.
“He got things wrong with the way we retreated after scoring and his substitutions did not help. It was extremely frustrating to watch, especially because I felt we had such a good chance of reaching our first World Cup final in 60 years.
“We expected more - I know I did - but just because Tuchel did not deliver does not mean his time should be up. Tuchel's original contract only lasted until this summer, but he signed a two-year extension in February and is going to lead us into the 2028 European Championship, which England will co-host.”
‘Different next time…’ - Alan Shearer
Like most England fans, Shearer is preparing himself to be full of belief for the home Euros in 2028. He added: “England will end this World Cup the same way they seem to finish every major tournament. By that, I mean they will look back with frustration, and look ahead with the same hope that things will be different next time.
“Tuchel should believe it too, because so much of Euro 2028 will be played on home soil and we saw how close we went when we last hosted matches in 2021, reaching the final - like we did two years ago. There I go again, though, dreaming of glory. That won't change until we finally get over the line - and all we really know for certain is we will be back to try again.”