England Stars Speak Their Minds After World Cup Semi-Final Defeat

England's players did not hold back when they discussed their World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina, according to BBC Sport. The views were aired in a squad meeting with head coach Thomas Tuchel.

The match was played in Atlanta on 15 July. England led after 55 minutes, when Anthony Gordon scored. Enzo Fernandez equalised for Argentina with five minutes left, and Lautaro Martinez scored a winner in stoppage time, the extra minutes added at the end of a match for injuries and delays. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to reach the final.

The meeting took place at the start of the September international break, the pause in club football when national teams play. BBC Sport described it as "full and frank". Captain Harry Kane was strong and forthright about the defeat. Jude Bellingham was especially candid, arguing that England could have kept taking the game to Argentina.

Several senior players believed Tuchel's instructions for the closing stages were too negative and defensive. Tuchel put the late goals down partly to the quality of the opponents. Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi, who is 38, was on the pitch for the final 18 minutes.

Tuchel has talked about his relationship with Bellingham. He said it had been "a bit of an up and down", but that the two are now "in a good place". Back in July, he had said Bellingham was "not wrong" but that England had to play better.

Bellingham and Kane had been England's main scorers at the tournament. Before the semi-final, the pair had scored 12 of England's 13 goals between them. Bellingham also scored both goals in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway.

Many people believe Bellingham will become England's captain once Kane is no longer in the role. That is a view held by many fans and observers, not an announced plan.

England have had a mixed autumn. They lost 3-2 to Spain at Wembley in their first Nations League game of the September window. The Nations League is a competition between European national teams. Since then, England have scored 12 goals without conceding in three games against the Czech Republic and Croatia.

Tuchel kept the backing of the Football Association after the World Cup defeat. The squad meeting shows a group that cares deeply about the result. It also shows a squad willing to say so to the man picking the team.