Nick Ames
Thanks for all your questions! They call New York the city that never sleeps and I certainly spent most of my night being tormented by recurring images of marauding Argentina full-backs and leaping centre-forwards. So it’s time for a short break. We really appreciate your interaction and I hope you keep enjoying our World Cup coverage!
Key events
Was this England’s best and maybe last chance to win another World Cup?
RevGreen asks: Of the usual contenders, this is a World Cup where we have seen an average Argentina (by their previous standards), and the same with Spain, France and Portugal. Germany, Brazil and the Netherlands are well below their average. Italy didn’t even qualify. Where does this England squad rank compared to their previous squads, and was this their best and maybe last chance to win another World Cup?
Nick says:
It was their best since 1966. Croatia in 2018 runs it close, and I remember being at the Luzhniki feeling absolutely certain they’d win after Trippier’s free-kick, but this team and squad are better in most departments – maybe not all across the defence. Of course it’s not the last chance, and I think England have a head start on many of these countries when it comes to producing players for the future. Hard not to feel as if it’s the end of the world though.
Would England players left at home have made a difference?
CliffordTheBigRedDog asks: Do you genuinely believe that any of the noteworthy omissions from the England squad (Wharton, Foden, Palmer, Gibbs-White, Alexander-Arnold, and ahem, Bowen) would have made any difference to the game last night, given how reluctant Tuchel was to use even the players he did have who offered something a bit different (Mainoo, Toney, Watkins)?
stantheman asks: In what world are Madueke, Eze, Mainoo, Henderson, Chalobah, Rashford (who keeps getting picked despite repeatedly proving he’s not at the level) better than Alex Scott, Adam Wharton, Gibbs-White, Luke Shaw, Foden, Palmer, Lewis Hall, even Jarrod Bowen? Like Southgate’s last tournament, I think this latest failure is down to inadequate – and injured – players once again being chosen.
Nicks says:
England didn’t have a midfield beyond Rice and Anderson. I’d have quite fancied Wharton to come on, keep the ball and maybe play a few of those clever little round-the-corner passes he’s so good at. Jarrod Bowen came up in conversation yesterday and I’m not think he, specifically, was needed but some kind of ball carrier certainly was. Whether they would have seen any action is entirely moot anyway!
What doesn’t England’s football ‘identity’ reflect the fast paced Premier League?
Vadakin asks: Why don’t England play like an English team? You’ve got a fast paced, all action league that the media hail as the best league in the world and yet England play nothing like a Premier League team and haven’t since Euro 96. All the other big football nations play in a way that reflects their football culture but England doesn’t.
iSH3 asks: In 2014 the FA decided that a new approach, a DNA, is needed to determine how England play at ALL levels (possession based with technical and tactically astute coaching). This will then underpin England’s ‘identity’. So what has happened since? What is England’s identity? Surely hiring Tuchel goes against this new approach? Like Spain having a clear identity and then hiring Ancelotti to play a completely different way.
Nick says:
I was having this conversation with Sid Lowe and another colleague of ours last night. It’s very interesting. Spain came to this tournament with a lot of players in pretty mediocre form or getting over injuries. Then they come together with the national team and immediately they’re part of this idea, this method, that everyone can immediately slot into. The results from there are clear.
England don’t have that. I think the idea of an England DNA sounds good, and the buzzwords are great, but what has it really produced that is different from anyone else? I’m not sure it is so simple to replicate the Premier League pace though. The biggest issue is that England still do not create players who can dictate a game, slow it when needed, quicken it up when required, and play on the half-turn.
Should Bellingham now be the centre of the team not Kane?
KratosBeThyName asks: Do we need to build the team around Bellingham for the next couple years even if it means Kane not being as influential?
Nick says:
We need to be careful with this. The issue with Bellingham is that he wants to be involved in absolutely everything. He’s not going to control a game or stitch it together. He’s brilliant but I’m not sure tweaking an entire setup to suit him is going to work. He needs freedom to be himself, without that turning into a problem for the team. It makes him both a problem and a solution! It’s clear he should start, but within a structure that lets him make those devastatingly timed runs into the box.
Why does it feel so bad this time?
Giftedcynic asks: I’ve seen so many England tournament exits. Why does this one feel the worst?
Nick says:
Because this was the only one they had squarely in their hands with 35 minutes left. And felt so avoidable even when watching in real time.
What about the Argentinian players “Las Malvinas” banner?
JustSaying18 says: It is quite astounding to see players who earn livelihoods, fame and good salaries in England step out to hold up a banner that is provocative to England, English fans and their own clubs and teammates.
Nick says:
Completely unacceptable, even before we get to the issue of where these players live and work, and in a normal world you’d expect heavy action from Fifa. But do you have faith in their disciplinary processes?
Is Harry Kane really the best choice for captain?
Ballboy asks: Is Harry Kane really the best choice for captain? Surely he has some responsibility for the drop off after England took the lead and shouldn’t he have been encouraging the midfield to push up? Is his own tendency to drop deep a factor for why that happened? Would someone like Bellingham be a better choice as captain as he seems to have a bit more “oomph” about him?
ChronicBasildonDonut asks: How concerned are you for the post Kane era? I love him but are we actually going to miss him if he continues to disappear in large matches? Oyarzabal showing the world how to play that role.
Rorygb asks: Harry Kane. What’s the point of having a captain on the pitch if all he ever does is line up for the coin toss and moan at the ref occasionally? Shouldn’t he be the guy who recognises in the heat of battle, that just maybe, someone should get closer to Messi and demands that one of his teammates does so? Even if it means deviating from the manager’s instructions, a captain in the true sense of the word would know to do so.
Nick says:
The post-Kane era isn’t really one I want to contemplate! There are certainly two strands, the captaincy and what actually happens to the centre-forward role. The former is easy enough in my opinion – give it to Declan Rice if he’s fit, although maybe whoever succeeds Tuchel will fancy taking the gamble on Bellingham’s temperament. As for centre-forward, who is coming through? Do England need a bustling gladiator like their own Liam Delap or a highly intelligent mover in the model of Mikel Oyarzabal? And where are these players found? In a couple of years there will be a massive hole in this squad unless something happens quickly.
Should Pickford have saved the first goal?
mediaboy asks: Why is nobody saying Pickford should’ve saved the first goal? It was almost in the centre of the goal and he was badly positioned. That changed the game.
Nick says:
There are a few clips on social media suggesting Jude Bellingham had a similar opinion. I’m no lipreader though. It was curling away from Pickford but I agree with you, I think it could have been saved
Have referees let too many fouls go?
ArthurThistlewood asks: What do you think of the refereeing at the tournament, specifically allowing challenges which would be deemed fouls in the top European leagues? I don’t like fouls given for minimal contact, with players exaggerating, but some of the challenges I’ve seen let go have been IMO too far in terms of failing to protect the player in possession.
Nick says:
Some of the games have definitely been refereed by players who spend most of their time in leagues where the speed and intensity won’t match that of a World Cup. That isn’t their fault. But it’s certainly riled some of the coaches. Didier Deschamps was rather cryptic when aiming parting shots at Ivan Barton, the ref from El Salvador, after the defeat to Spain but I think he would have been talking about exactly the kind of thing you mention. I’m not really sure what the answer is, it’s probably on Fifa to ensure their officials are prepared and trained more thoroughly. Refereeing at this level should certainly be open to officials from all over the world.
Realistically, were England any good at this World Cup?
ohfffs asks: How many good performances did England manage in this World Cup? There was a really good half against Croatia and a good start against Mexico, but most of the rest was pretty poor. They were limp against Panama, dreadful against Ghana, just about hung on against Mexico and were very lucky to get past Norway. We know England can qualify but looked at objectively England were pretty underwhelming throughout.
Nick says:
“Good” is subjective but let’s say it means “controlled the game”. One thing I’d say is that – at club level too – there’s this expectation among fans for 90-minute performances that in reality only come around every so often. Most teams nowadays are good, brilliantly drilled, and will have their moments in a game. You would expect Croatia, Mexico, Norway and even DR Congo all to cause a few problems. You’d expect Ghana to spoil given Carlos Queiroz was in charge. So I’m not overly surprised these games were quite patchy. Spain or Argentina will win the World Cup and I’m not sure either will look back and say that, in terms of control, they really put it together over a consistent run of matches – although Spain’s masterclass against France was an exception. They’ve simply been better in the moments that mattered.
Is Tuchel’s time up?
BabyH asks: Do you think Tuchel should take all the blame? I don’t think so. The decision to simply defend at 1-0 was questionable, but the main problem was that the players implemented it poorly – both Argentina’s goals were scored by unmarked players.
Daniel707 asks: Do you feel Tuchel should lose his job? Should he be given more time and under what conditions? Like get to the Euros finals or play the Euros well?
Nick says:
Ultimately it stops with him. I can’t really look much further on this one. Maybe Messi’s cross shouldn’t be met by 5ft 9in Martinez with Stones jumping in front… maybe Bellingham should see the danger more quickly and be out to block Fernandez. But players are not going to get everything 100% right if you’re asked to park the bus for 40 minutes, especially not against a team with such cunning and craft. And ask yourself this – apart from Dan Burn maybe, how many of these England players are really used to manning a rearguard action at domestic level? It was one thing doing this with 10 men against a Mexico team whose one idea was to cross the ball badly. Quite another here. And even if shoring up the back line, why not retain some ball-carrying threat from wide, which would also have the effect of giving Argentina’s attacking full-backs something to think about? We could go on forever.
I think Tuchel should stay, there is little point rolling the dice again when little broader vision is evident in any case. It’s not quite enough of a flop to cut ties now. But make no mistake – he was brought in to win things, nothing less, so if England do not win Euro 2028 then his appointment has been a failure.
What made you decide to report on the Aramco refinery?
Will D asks: Nick, can you tell us a bit more about why you decided to report on the Aramco refinery and what the attitude was there from locals towards Fifa/the World Cup?
Nick says:
Thanks for raising this. As soon as I realised the Port Arthur refinery in Texas was located two hours from a World Cup venue, and learned more about the public health and economic situations there, I felt it was essential to visit. Fifa take a gargantuan amount of money from Aramco – and others of course – and should have to account for it. They have a “sustainable sourcing code” for sponsors and a sustainability/human rights strategy for the World Cup? Are the targets – often very vague, you’ll be shocked to hear – being hit? And should Fifa’s “major worldwide partner” not be engaging firmly with the community it looms over … even if it’s something laughably small like plastering its name on a local football pitch? There was nothing of the sort in Port Arthur, where people are struggling to stay healthy and get by.
In Port Arthur there was barely any interest in the World Cup. People just want to know when their lives are going to get better. The stadium countdown clock in Houston, 100 miles away, was “powered by Aramco”. The economy in Port Arthur certainly didn’t seem to be.
Why did Bellingham and Kane have so little influence?
uncle_Rico asks: Why did Bellingham and Kane have so little influence over the game last night? All the talk had been about how they were carrying England forward with the worry being what would happen in a game where they couldn’t do that.
Nick says:
I thought Bellingham could run amok yesterday. It felt as if he’d have a lot of fun running off, and behind, a labouring Argentina midfield. Back to football-watching school for me! It’s a great point. I watched the game back yesterday on my flight to New York and could not believe how minimal England’s goal threat had been. It was even worse on second viewing. Can you think of another scoring chance they created? The short answer here is that Bellingham and Kane need people around who can get the ball to them and it just did not happen. I think a lot of that comes down to the way England started the game. Argentina were very happy to let that opening period go by without anything happening and England played along.
Does England’s past failures affect team psychology?
Eternalsceptic asks: How much do you think the weight of history, of past England failures, play into the psychology of the team? We always hear with each new incarnation of the England side that this current generation will not carry the baggage of the past yet here we are again not being able to get past an elite side when it counts?
Nick says:
It’s quite often a mistake to pick people’s words apart but I did think Anthony Barry was interesting at half-time when he said “we wanted to show our players that there was no inferiority complex”. Why would they have thought there was? I guess the answer has something to do with Argentina’s title-winning pedigree and a certain Lionel Messi. But it suggests there were concerns about at least some kind of external pressure filtering through. Coaches can never control exactly how much players see and hear from outside; the expectation is always gigantic. It’s not quantifiable, in fact it’s totally nebulous, but you’d have to think it has some sort of effect.
Did Tuchel know Declan Rice wasn’t on top form?
BrightonPeer asks: Did Tuchel know how injured Saka and (especially) Rice were when he picked his squad? My sense is that he can’t have known about Rice, because if he had known surely he takes one or two spare central midfielders who weren’t just there for the vibes or, well, whatever Mainoo was there for given Tuchel clearly doesn’t trust him?
Nick says:
Afraid he did! Both players’ issues have been well known for a long time – Rice in particular goes back to the start of the year. And there’s too much information around nowadays for anything like this to fly under the radar. Managers have to choose whether to take calculated gambles or not, just as Lionel Scaloni did with a couple of his full-backs. But the situation with midfield cover is, I agree, utterly exasperating. It is where matches are won and lost. Tuchel’s squad selection had a strong emphasis on being “good tourists”, which explains the Henderson call-up, and I sympathise with that to some extent. But would he have brought Adam Wharton if he had his time again? Maybe he’ll tell us one day.
Would long throw-ins have thrown opponents?
BrianFantana asks: Aside from the obvious squad omissions, do you think England should have incorporated more long throw-ins? They aren’t pretty but they were the story of the PL this year and would have taken a lot of countries by surprise.
Nicks says:
Do they have anyone who can chuck it far enough? Maybe Declan Rice. It’s a decent point but to be honest I’ve rather enjoyed a World Cup light on them. Perhaps the long throw can be England’s answer to the Spanish football identity in future!
Would a final against Spain have left us red faced?
Mentalfloss asks: On the basis of last night’s performance did we narrowly avoid being completely embarrassed by Spain on Sunday?
Nick says:
Look, it’s a distinct possibility. But – and I know this is the most terrible cliche – every game is its own universe. Perhaps England would have played their own game against Spain, rather than getting sucked into the snarl and niggle Argentina wanted during the first half. It would have been a fascinating clash between one consistent idea and another that appears to change on the hoof.
Nick Ames is online now
After a late comeback from Argentina led to heartbreak for England in last night’s World Cup semi-final, Guardian football reporter Nick Ames is online now answering your questions
Welcome to the Conversation
It’s been a morning of dejection for England fans after their defeat by Argentina last night in Atlanta. But, from Mendoza to Malaga, there is huge excitement for Sunday’s final. Of course, there’s also the third/fourth place playoff between England and France in Miami on Saturday still to come.
Over the past few weeks Nick has seen Spain canter to the final against France in Dallas, Argentina come back to life against Switzerland in Kansas City, England’s heroics in Mexico City and, importantly, reported away from the sporting action: his piece on the impact that a refinery owned by Aramco (one of Fifa’s most lucrative sponsors) has had on locals in Port Arthur, 100 miles away from host city Houston is a must read.
Nick is online online now answering your questions.
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