The view that Thomas Tuchel was defenceless as England were already retreating against Argentina and it’s a consequence of “not being in our DNA like it is in Spanish DNA or in Argentinian-Brazilian DNA, to take the ball and control the game with the ball” ignores the reality that *he* purposely selected a squad (with a host of fitness question marks) for functionality over flair. He left out the best passers, the players who can dictate and decide a game with the ball. He did take the press-resistant Kobbie Mainoo, only to not give him a minute. Tuchel had said after announcing the squad that he had so many players pushing for a start and he’d rotate, but it was clear he didn’t have faith in many that he called up. In his own words: “Players feel the love and trust of their coach and if there are doubts, you don’t play to the same level. In the end, it comes down to that…” The squad selection did not scream England were going to impose themselves at the World Cup and they didn’t. For all the talk of “building the best possible team not the most talented players,” they got to the semi-finals on the back of individual brilliance from Bellingham and Kane. Bar a stanza against Croatia, the team did not play well. The defensive resilience and attitude against Mexico was impressive in the circumstances of altitude and the man disadvantage. It was also helped, as Wayne Rooney pointed out after that game, by Mexico “putting balls in the box and allowing us to head it out, for Pickford to come and punch and take the pressure off his teammates. I think if Mexico played a little bit more around the box, and made us try and get to the ball, it would have been more difficult.” To assume the same defensive stance could work against the best player on the planet pulling the strings - “we entered through the inside, the outside, because we created opportunities with crosses, through-balls” - with absolutely no risk for Argentina to worry about, was welcoming the defeat with open arms. Messi and co were staggered that England didn’t create jeopardy for them. That they didn’t have an outlet to stretch the game, putting pressure on ARG’s centre-backs and fullbacks. Scaloni had even pre-empted they would and had feared getting done on the break, with their previous games showing it was for very good reason. But, as Messi said, “we felt England didn’t want it anymore” and Scaloni sensed “there was blood in the water and we went for it,” which is seen with the introduction of De Paul allowing Leo to drift right and specifically in the Lautaro sub with no need for a proper left-back anymore.