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Add as preferred source on Google<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThey used to say West Ham United \u2018won the World Cup\u2019. As England bombed out at the semi-final stage in Atlanta, it was tactics reminiscent of more modern-day Hammers which left Thomas Tuchel at the mercy of the magical Lionel Messi.<\/strong><\/p>\n It was a familiar sight. Deja vu in its most painful form. Like the protagonist at the start of every Final Destination<\/em> movie; powerless to prevent the inevitable march of the spectre.<\/p>\n En route to relegation, West Ham United dropped a staggering 20 points from winning positions during the 2025\/26 Premier League campaign. Only Newcastle, with 25, dropped more.<\/p>\n There were no points on offer for Thomas Tuchel\u2019s England on Wednesday night. Just the small matter of a first World Cup final since the glory days of Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore. <\/p>\n There were certainly shades of Nuno’s West Ham v Argentina\u2026 \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf7<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n But the manner in which England tied their own shoelaces together and stumbled headfirst out of the competition brought to mind, for instance, when West Ham floundered to a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth in November. Or, perhaps, the 1-1 draw at Brighton a couple of weeks later; Georginio Rutter scrambling a controversial, stoppage-time equaliser.<\/p>\n The time West Ham turned leads into a losses against Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. <\/p>\n Hammers legend Tony Gale, from his vantage point in the commentary booth, knew what was coming long before it did. <\/p>\n Then again, you didn\u2019t need the gift of clairvoyance to realise that taking off Luis Guilherme and Callum Wilson, for Kyle Walker-Peters and Tomas Soucek, would hand the initiative to Bournemouth.<\/p>\n Or, perhaps, that introducing Max Kilman for the high-pressing Pablo Felipe would backfire at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many defenders, so deep as well. They make them pay, Bournemouth,\u201d Gale said on a day when only an \u2018incredible\u2019 Alphonse Areola saved West Ham from defeat in a game they lead 2-0 at half-time.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can\u2019t go any deeper, West Ham. They will be on the goal line!\u201d<\/p>\n At least Nuno acknowledged his Max Kilman-shaped \u2018mistake\u2019 following the most self-inflicted of 3-2 losses at Chelsea. That Tuchel refused to engage in any introspection of his own \u2013 the German a pitying parody of Gareth Southgate\u2019s worst instincts \u2013 had the blood boiling almost as much as England completing a mere two passes in an 18-minute stretch in Atlanta.<\/p>\n \u201cThought it was Nuno managing,\u201d one of Hammers News\u2019 <\/strong>TalkingPoint users said as a quickfire double from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez set up a final between Argentina and Spain. \u201cGo ahead then sit back. Seen it all last season!<\/p>\n \u201cHad visions of West Ham,\u201d another agrees. \u201cGet a lead then go defensive with a poor defence. Should have stayed attack-minded in my honest opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n David Moyes snubbed Julian Alvarez for \u00a314m\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe same tactic West Ham got relegated with. Never works, fans hate it, players hate it. But yet, it\u2019s still being used, year after year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt reminded me of West Ham under Moyes last night,\u201d one writes, harking back to the frustrations that arose during the Scot\u2019s final few months in charge. \u201cAs soon as he took Gordon off and put Konsa on, I -and all West Ham fans \u2013 knew what was coming. <\/p>\n \u201cI turned it off before I started having flashbacks and nightmares.\u201d<\/p>\n You won\u2019t need us to tell you what happened thereafter. As you say, you\u2019ve seen it all before.<\/p>\n It is easy to say in hindsight, as they say. But, on this occasion, hindsight wasn\u2019t needed. It seems that everyone<\/em> knew taking off Anthony Gordon \u2013 England\u2019s best presser and best channel-runner \u2013 for an extra centre-back in Ezri Konsa was bound to backfire. <\/p>\n Well, everyone but the man who really mattered, that is.<\/p>\n Worse was to come. Three minutes before Enzo Fernandez\u2019s piledriver equaliser, Declan Rice and Reece James were sacrificed for Dan Burn and Nico O\u2019Reilly.<\/p>\n If you will indulge us for a moment, why not introduce, say, Marcus Rashford or Ollie Watkins to stretch the play and provide an outlet on the counter? Why not give Kobbie Mainoo his first minutes of the tournament; the Man United man an expert of retaining possession under pressure and playing his way out of trouble? <\/p>\n Why not do anything <\/em>but try and hang on desperately for half an hour against the greatest creative mind the game has ever seen in the ageless Messi?<\/p>\n Similar autopsies, of course, would have dominated many a post-match debrief at West Ham last season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got smashed last 30 minutes. Could and should have been 1-4 or 1-5 with their chances. They stepped up through the gears and we couldn\u2019t match them with eleven behind the ball.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you were Thomas Tuchel, what would you have done DIFFERENTLY?<\/h3>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nThomas Tuchel emulates Nuno Espirito as England beat West Ham United<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>Hammers fans hit out at Tuchel following Argentina disaster<\/h2>\n
What would you say is West Ham\u2019s biggest transfer REGRET? \ud83d\ude2b<\/h3>\n
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