Clearing the Air
The squad feel that, having had their say, they can now move on from the heartbreak in Atlanta on 15 July. England showed as much in the last international break. After a narrow defeat by Spain in the opening game, they won the next three matches impressively.
The circumstances of the Argentina loss left some players with grievances that lingered and even grew over the summer. The main complaint was about Tuchel's instructions for the closing stages after Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute. Enzo Fernandez equalised with five minutes left, and Lautaro Martinez headed in a stoppage-time winner. A number of senior players felt the approach was too negative and defensive.
Hindsight is 20/20, of course. England retreated late on against Mexico in the last 16, too, but held on to a 3-2 lead and reached the quarter-finals, sparking joyful scenes at the iconic Azteca Stadium. Even so, some players felt let down by the apparent pragmatism against Argentina, believing that going for the South Americans' jugular would have worked better.
What Was Said in the Meeting
Unsurprisingly, the Argentina game was a key theme. It is understood Tuchel pointed to the quality of the opposition as a major reason England succumbed to two late goals. There is merit in that, since Lionel Messi was playing. The players in the room weren't all ready to accept it, though. There is a strongly held view in the squad that England, man for man, were better than Argentina, who had 38-year-old Nicolas Otamendi on the pitch for the final 18 minutes.
Every player got the chance to share personal views. Captain Harry Kane was strong and forthright, as you'd expect. Jude Bellingham is said to have been especially candid, arguing that this group of England players was more than capable of continuing to take the game to Argentina. His contribution reportedly underlines his growing influence in the squad, and many believe the Real Madrid midfielder will become captain once Kane is no longer in the picture.
Bouncing Back
If the air needed clearing after the World Cup, those honest discussions at the end of September seem to have done the job. Apart from the 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley in the first Nations League game in September, England have bounced back emphatically, scoring 12 goals without conceding in three games against the Czech Republic and Croatia.
The sometimes uneven relationship between Bellingham and Tuchel also appears to have improved. "It was a bit of an up and down [relationship] of course but we are in a good place," Tuchel said last week. "I love to be his coach. He's a top player, a very influential player and I think it goes both ways."
A clearer picture of how "Tuchel 2.0" is progressing will come in the next few days, when England host Croatia on Thursday and travel to Madrid to face world champions Spain on Sunday.
