U.S. President Donald Trump has joined the growing list of critics of England’s tactics following the team’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Speaking at a reception in New York alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday, Trump questioned England manager Thomas Tuchel’s decision to adopt a more defensive approach after taking the lead in Wednesday’s match.
Referring to England captain Harry Kane, whom he said he played golf with in Florida 18 months ago, Trump suggested the striker should have remained in a more attacking role.
“You have a great player in England, who I played golf with, Harry,” Trump said.
“They perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player. What do I know about soccer?” he added.
“They took the lead and they took their best player and they put him on defence. We got to be a little offensive, right? What do I know about coaching?”
Tuchel came under heavy criticism after replacing two attacking players with defenders during the final 30 minutes of the match, a move that saw England retreat deeper while Kane remained on the pitch.
Argentina capitalised on the tactical shift, with Lionel Messi providing assists for both goals that secured a comeback victory and a place in the World Cup final.
Despite the criticism, Tuchel defended his decisions on Friday, insisting he had no regrets.
“No, I don’t regret my decision. I thought we had become too passive,” Tuchel said. “I was trying to help the team.”
