Can this Hurzeler verdict on Tuchel and England help Albion next season?

Brighton and Hove Albion FC England football Football Sport

Fabian Hurzeler believes England became “passive” in their World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina.

He says fear of the prize within reach took over once they went 1-0 up and on course for their nation’s first global final since 1966.

And he has made some fascinating observations about what Thomas Tuchel and his team did in that fateful final half-hour in Atlanta.

Now Albion fans will look with interest at what happens when their own side get into advantageous positions in the Premier League or big cup ties.

Because Hurzeler himself had a time when he, and his players, seemed happier to chase a game than in holding on to something they had.

Indications last season were that they were overcoming such a problem.

The image of James Milner going on to protect a lead seconds before Everton equalised at the Amex probably comes to mind at this point.

But there are also examples of Albion going on to build, or least try to build, on a narrow lead.

And that is something England - as has happened under previous bosses far too often - did not do against Argentina.

Hurzeler was asked for his perspective on the Atlanta defeat as he spoke to Frankfurter Allgemeine in Germany.

He has always talked supportively of Tuchel as Three Lions head coach and was positive about England throughout the tournament.

The Albion boss told Frankfurter Allgemeine: “The English became extremely passive, even with the back four.

“Nevertheless, I think that two other factors play a big role that no one discusses.

Fabian Hurzeler had some strong opinion on the Argentina game (Image: Richard Parkes)

“The first factor is the head. The English, and I notice this here. They haven't won anything for 60 years.

“So, now they are in the lead, now they are very close to the final.

“What happens in a player's head? Now you have something to lose, now comes the fear of losing.

“You become more tense, you are no longer so relaxed.

“In the first half, they pressed intensively. They didn't look back. They defended going forward. Then came the goal.

“And then came the thought, ‘Now we can really lose something’.

“I had the feeling that they wanted to force the final and only defended. That was the first factor.

“Of course they were passive against the ball, but what struck me even more was that they became despondent with the ball.

“England stopped playing offensively after the 1-0.”

Hurzeler contrasted that to the way Spain played in a 2-0 win over France 24 hours earlier.

He said: “They stick to their style, they keep pressing, they play offensively, they have their clear structure, they trust their abilities. In short, they don't change anything.

“But you also have to say that Argentina is incredibly difficult to press.

Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions have come under fire (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)

“Messi runs around everywhere, then they have their four midfielders who are extremely flexible.

“Sure, you can press man-to-man, but can you do it man-to-man over 90 minutes? I don't know.

“There are so many aspects that you have to consider.

“Now it's easiest to hit Tuchel and say, ‘His substitutions were wrong’.

“In retrospect, you can always say that. But, from a coach's perspective, it has more to do with a lack of courage for me."

Which is all very interesting in its own right but will become even more relevant if Albion find themselves in the position England and Tuchel faced on Wednesday.

They will never be in sight of a World Cup final but one hopes they are involved in tense later stages of club competitions in the coming season.

Even the pursuit of three league points when you are a goal up can be pretty tense sometimes, a real test of mindset, especially if you have been on a bad run.

Hurzeler uses more substitutes, and gets more goals from those subs, than any of his Prem counterparts.

He has earned praise for the way he has altered games by making changes when he had little to lose.

Making changes to preserve a result has been less of a forte but there were some positive examples in the later stages of last season.

Having gone 2-1 up at home to Liverpool, for example, Albion sent on Kaoru Mitoma and remained very much on the front foot rather than inviting pressure.

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There was something similar in the 2-0 success at Burnley as Mitoma and Georginio Rutter were introduced to the action at 1-0 up.

England’s desire for a major tournament, or a World Cup final, grows more acute as years go by.

The same could be said for Albion’s pursuit of a major trophy if things develop in that way in the coming campaign.

The great thing for them is that Hurzeler has recognised the potential mindset and challenges such moments can bring.