England's senior players reportedly unhappy with Tuchel's defensive tactics

The Three Lions were knocked out of the tournament in Atlanta, despite holding a lead that seemed to put them on course for the final. 

Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the second half, but a series of substitutions from Tuchel appeared to shift the team into a defensive shell.

The German manager brought on Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, and Nico O’Reilly, while withdrawing goalscorer Gordon, Reece James, and Declan Rice. 

Despite the added defensive numbers, England struggled to retain possession or offer an attacking outlet, allowing Argentina to seize control.

According to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, the in-game management has not been well-received by the players. 

"A lot of England’s players, and some of the senior players, I might say, are not happy with the decisions that Thomas Tuchel took," Dorsett stated.

"They’re not happy that he went hyper-defensive, that he went to a back five and then brought Nico O’Reilly on," he continued. 

"So there were six defenders on the pitch, five of them centre-backs by the way, for the closing stages, which just handed the ball to Lionel Messi. 

“And of course, he punished England eventually. A lot of the players thought it was a mistake."

Despite the heartbreaking loss, England's World Cup campaign is not over. They will face France in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday, offering a chance to secure the nation's second-best ever finish at the tournament. 

England have lost both of their previous third-place matches: 2-1 to Italy in 1990 and 2-0 to Belgium in 2018.

Preparations for the match have been disrupted, with the team's travel from Kansas delayed by thunderstorms.