England's exit from the World Cup, marked by a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, felt all too familiar. Under Gareth Southgate, the team faced criticisms of being overly pragmatic and failing to utilize substitutes effectively. With the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, expectations were high for a transformative approach aimed at securing England's first World Cup victory in 60 years.

In March 2025, Tuchel expressed his concerns about England's Euro 2024 campaign under Southgate, stating that the team lacked "a clear playing style" and identified several missing elements, including:

• Identity
• Clarity
• Rhythms
• Freedom of players
• Hunger to win

Despite Tuchel's new system-first approach, England's performance against Argentina mirrored the issues observed under Southgate. Tuchel's squad omitted notable talents like Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold in favor of players who fit his tactical vision, focusing on specific roles and patterns.

The team's identity was supposed to stem from principles borrowed from Premier League strategies, emphasizing quick transitions and wide triangles to create chances. However, the execution faltered throughout the tournament, culminating in a lackluster performance against Argentina.

Tuchel's top-down methodology contrasted with Southgate's player-first strategy. While Southgate's approach allowed for individual talent to shine, Tuchel's rigid tactics led to frustrations when results didn’t match expectations. Both managers faced similar challenges, as evidenced by Tuchel's post-match remarks after England's victory against Norway, where he acknowledged the fantastic result but criticized the performance as lacking tactical discipline.

In the end, the similarities in tournament outcomes between Southgate and Tuchel raise questions about whether any substantial change has truly occurred for England.