Kane and Bellingham air strong views in England World Cup review

Kane and Bellingham spoke candidly in a squad meeting with Tuchel about England's World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina, with players believing they were tactically let down in the closing stages.

England players held a 'full and frank' meeting with head coach Thomas Tuchel at the start of September's international break to review their World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina in July.

The squad aired grievances about how Tuchel instructed them to approach the closing stages of the match, with several senior players believing the approach was too negative and defensive after Anthony Gordon had given England a 55th-minute lead. Enzo Fernandez equalized with five minutes remaining before Lautaro Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner.

During the meeting, players expressed the view that their squad was superior to Argentina man-for-man and that a more attacking approach would have yielded better results. Captain Harry Kane was described as strong and forthright in his views, while Jude Bellingham was particularly candid in arguing that England's current crop were capable of taking the game to Argentina. Bellingham's contribution underlined his growing influence within the squad.

Tuchel pointed to the quality of Argentina's opposition, citing Lionel Messi's presence, though this argument was not universally accepted by the players. The meeting appears to have cleared the air, with England subsequently winning three consecutive Nations League matches and improving their relationship with Tuchel.