Forget tactics, which England players failed to step up when needed most?
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- Thomas Tuchel's back-five switch after Anthony Gordon's goal just before the hour mark invited pressure England couldn't absorb in Atlanta, leaving the manager under fire for retreating after taking the lead.
- Djed Spence produced what the article called his best tournament display, attempting more take-ons than any England player, completing 80% of his final-third passes (second only to Reece James), and leading the side in tackles and interceptions.
- Anthony Gordon earned England's highest individual Power Ranking of 83/100, cementing his status as arguably the squad's most consistent performer across the tournament.
- Jude Bellingham's take-on attempts against Argentina fell to less than half his three-game knockout average, and his final-third pass attempts dropped by roughly two-thirds, leaving him stranded wide rather than threatening inside the penalty area.
- Harry Kane managed just one shot and received the ball within 20 yards of Argentina's goal only once — compared to four such touches against Norway — after repeatedly dropping deep without recovering to impact the box.
- John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Reece James, and Jordan Pickford all registered their worst or second-worst Power Rankings of the tournament despite England conceding just twice — the same number they shipped against Mexico, when several of the same players rated statistically higher.
Why it matters: Thomas Tuchel now faces mounting pressure after his tactical retreat backfired and multiple key starters — including Bellingham and Kane, who combined for one shot — delivered their worst tournament performances by the same Power Ranking metric that crowned England's lesser names. The data directly undermines Tuchel's repeated pre-tournament insistence that the players' mentality was never in question, giving critics concrete ammunition heading into the post-mortem.
