Tuchel admits World Cup scar as FA backs England boss

England manager Thomas Tuchel has described the emotional fallout from his team's World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina as an "agony of epic proportions" and a "permanent scar," while confirming he will name his first squad since the tournament on Friday. The Football Association has publicly backed Tuchel, dismissing calls for his dismissal as absurd. Tuchel, speaking in a new FA documentary, admitted he remains haunted by the 2-1 loss in Atlanta, where England surrendered a 1-0 lead in the final minutes. He conceded that his decision to adopt a defensive back-five formation with 19 minutes remaining was made prematurely, driven by a sense that his fatigued team was "waiting for death." "I thought, 'We will not survive. This is waiting for death,'" Tuchel explained. "We don't have ball possession, we're not defending good, we're not defending properly in our 4-4-2. We need help." He pinpointed a sliding tackle by defender Djed Spence as the moment the team's mindset shifted to survival mode. The manager defended the tactical change as a necessary response to Argentina's aggressive, all-out attacking approach, which he described as "f*** it football.