Joe Hart makes ruthless claim about Thomas Tuchel and England which leaves rest of BBC panel stunned

Joe Hart Delivers Blunt Verdict on Tuchel After England’s Semifinal Collapse Against Argentina

England’s dream of reaching the World Cup final came to a heartbreaking end in Atlanta, as Argentina snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with two late goals to secure a 2-1 win in the semifinals.

Anthony Gordon had given the Three Lions a second-half lead with a clinical finish from Morgan Rogers’ delivery, and for much of the contest, England’s defense stood firm against a wave of Argentine pressure. However, Enrique Fernández and Lautaro Martínez struck in quick succession late on to turn the tide, sending the defending champions to their third World Cup final in the last four tournaments—where they will face Spain at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

Despite a resilient showing from England’s backline, manager Thomas Tuchel came under fire for his tactical approach after taking the lead. The German coach opted for a defensive reshuffle, introducing Ezri Konsa for Gordon, Dan Burn for Reece James, and Nico O’Reilly for Declan Rice—moves that signaled a clear intent to protect the slender advantage. That strategy backfired spectacularly, as Argentina grew in confidence and eventually broke through.

Only after conceding twice did Tuchel turn to attacking reinforcements Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney, but neither could influence the outcome as Argentina booked their place in the final.

BBC Pundits Voice Their Disappointment

In the aftermath, a host of BBC analysts did not hold back in their criticism of England’s performance.

Wayne Rooney, part of the BBC coverage, expressed his frustration: “We put ourselves in such a strong position, but then we didn’t know how to manage the game. We dropped deep, invited pressure, and they created chance after chance. Eventually, we broke. It’s a really tough one to take.”

He continued: “The fans have travelled thousands of miles and spent a fortune to be here. I expected more from us tonight. Argentina are world champions for a reason—we knew the margins would be fine. The substitutions didn’t help us. It’s devastating. Sometimes you need that bit of luck to go all the way.”

Alan Shearer echoed similar sentiments, admitting Argentina were the better side on the night. “We have to be honest,” said the former England striker. “Their response was outstanding. They hit the woodwork multiple times, and England rode their luck.

But Argentina never panicked—they stuck to their plan, trusted their process, and their changes made a real impact. You have to respect that. As painful as it is to say, they deserve to be in Sunday’s final.”

However, the most scathing assessment came from former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who took aim squarely at Tuchel’s mindset. Hart drew comparisons to the criticism Gareth Southgate once faced for similar defensive tactics in high-stakes matches.

“Gareth Southgate took a lot of flak for shutting up shop when England had leads in big games,” Hart told the BBC. “But looking at tonight, I don’t see anything that’s changed in those critical moments. For all the praise we’ve given Tuchel, the fact that he made those changes so early tells me one thing: he didn’t trust his team. He didn’t believe they could land another blow on Argentina.”