Michael Owen believes England’s World Cup exit under former Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel was not simply the result of one poor spell of football, but rather the culmination of warning signs that had already appeared earlier in the tournament.
Owen, one of England’s most recognizable former strikers, knows plenty about the pressure surrounding the national team. The former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and England forward won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 after an outstanding
season with Liverpool. He earned 89 England caps and scored 40 international goals, representing his country at multiple major tournaments and scoring memorable goals on the biggest stages.
Now working as a television pundit, Owen has offered a critical assessment of England’s performances under Tuchel, particularly the mentality that developed as the tournament progressed.
“I thought England played fine. In patches they were brilliant, in patches they were not so good. Obviously, half an hour of madness cost England in the end. We were in total and utter control, and then a mind shift that I saw coming took place. I probably was the only person that was negative after Mexico, when everybody else was talking about the best performance they’ve ever seen and all that, I mean, I think I was watching another game, but the signs were there,” Owen told Casino.org. “We got knocked out of the World Cup against Mexico, not Argentina, in my view. Once you cling on and get through and that’s your default position, you go ahead against the team and think, oh right, okay, let’s keep hold of it, let’s, let’s do what we did last time, that saw us through.
“We were very, very lucky to hang on against Mexico. That could have easily knocked us out there and then. With that attitude carrying into the next game, it was just the beginning of the end for England, what happened against Mexico.”
Owen’s comments ultimately point toward a psychological issue rather than a purely tactical one. England could dominate matches and produce stretches of excellent football, but Owen believes the team became too comfortable protecting leads after surviving against Mexico.
For Tuchel, that will be one of the biggest lessons from the tournament. England had the talent to compete with the world’s best, but Owen’s argument is that controlling games requires more than technical quality. The mentality has to remain aggressive even after England takes control.
That distinction could prove crucial for Tuchel and England moving forward. If the warning signs Owen identified are addressed, the disappointment of the World Cup could eventually become an important learning experience.
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