A third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup would be England's best World Cup result since 1966. Nevertheless, many on the island are not satisfied. England coaching legend Barry Fry (81 years old) has accused Tuchel of squandering a golden opportunity to win, specifically pointing to his use of striker Ivan Toni as a serious mistake.
Fry had helped Toni break through at Peterborough United before selling him to Brentford. He was initially delighted with Tuchel's decision to include Toni in England's World Cup squad. In the eyes of this veteran football administrator, Toni could have helped the England team with his unique abilities.
However, Tuchel rarely used the center forward throughout the tournament. It wasn't until the dramatic semi-final loss to Argentina that Toni received a brief appearance in stoppage time. He then started in the third-place match against France—but in Fry's opinion, it was too late.
The British newspaper The Sun quoted Frye as saying, criticizing Tuchel: "We messed up, and only one person should be held responsible."
Fry said: "Tony is the only striker in the squad who is truly adapted to high temperatures. You know, the temperature in many matches of this World Cup has exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, and he has played two seasons in Saudi Arabia. Playing in such conditions should be a piece of cake for him - even so, Tuchel has not given him enough playing time."
In his view, if Toni had played in the semi-final against Argentina, it could have been decisive: "He would have caused trouble and chaos for Argentina's defense. He's the kind of player who annoys opponents. He might have gotten one or two players into yellow cards or even red cards."
For Fry, it was particularly heartbreaking that Toni never got a chance to prove himself: "I feel sorry for him because he didn't get the opportunity to show his ability – especially when England desperately needed someone to hold the ball up front."
Despite the criticism, the FA will continue to support Tuchel, who will remain in charge of the team until the 2028 European Championship held in the UK.
