OPINION: England’s biggest problem isn’t talent – it’s identity

England’s defeat to Argentina once again exposed the gap between perception and reality. The English media have spent years portraying the national team as one of world football’s superpowers, yet the game’s true heavyweights have little reason to fear the Three Lions.

England’s 60 years of hurt

If surrendering a lead against Argentina is not enough to convince England that they remain a level below the world’s elite, it is difficult to imagine what will. There is a reason England have not lifted the FIFA World Cup since 1966. argolida.life

They have never lacked quality footballers, and from one generation to the next, England have consistently produced gifted individuals capable of starring for Europe’s biggest clubs. However, international football demands much more than assembling talented players.

That is exactly why I backed Spain to win this World Cup before the tournament even kicked off. On paper, the current Spanish side may not possess as many household names as the team that conquered the world in South Africa in 2010.

That legendary squad, featuring Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Fernando Torres and David Villa, was blessed with world-class talent. More importantly, though, it had a clear identity. Each player understood the system, trusted the philosophy and embraced the collective.

That remains Spain’s greatest strength today because talent alone does not win football’s biggest prize. Success is built on cohesion, a winning mentality and a clear football identity. England continue to search for theirs as one moment they appear determined to dominate possession, the next they retreat into a defensive shell, hoping to counter-attack and grind out results. That uncertainty inevitably filters through to the players.

Thomas Tuchel deserves criticism for England’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina, but he is not solely responsible. He knows the strengths and limitations of his squad, and perhaps most importantly, he understands their mentality.

His approach suggested he did not trust England to take the game to Argentina, despite holding a slender 1-0 for majority of the second half. Rather than imposing themselves, England retreated, invited pressure and ultimately paid the price.

Had they survived to reach the final, the same performance would probably have been praised as disciplined and resilient. The pendulum swung the other way and Tuchel has become the primary target for criticism.

A clear identity

When a team has a clearly defined identity and well-established football principles, an elite coach becomes the finishing touch rather than the foundation. Luis de la Fuente is a perfect example. Few would have placed him among football’s managerial elite before taking charge of Spain, yet his achievements speak for themselves.

Winning the UEFA European Championship in 2024 and guiding Spain to the World Cup final is no accident. It is the product of a system that every player understands and believes in. Spain remain my favourites and I believe they will outplay Argentina in the final.

They suffocate opponents with possession, dictate the rhythm of matches and rarely abandon their identity, regardless of the occasion. England should be paying close attention. Winning cultures are not built on hype or individual reputations.

They are built on clarity, consistency and conviction. Until the Three Lions establish a football identity they fully commit to, they will continue to fall short whenever they face the world’s very best.

Steve Borthwick has again resisted mounting calls to hand Henry Pollock a starting berth and named an unchanged England side for Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Argentina.

The 21-year-old Northampton loose forward produced a sensational impact off the bench in England’s 73-8 demolition of Fiji last week, crossing for a hat-trick in just 32 minutes.

His performance sparked widespread calls for him to replace Ben Earl at No 8 for the showdown in Santiago del Estero, with former England centre Jeremy Guscott among those urging Borthwick to unleash Pollock from the start against the Pumas.

Instead, the England coach has stuck with the same starting side that dismantled Fiji, with Pollock once again providing impact from the bench.

TEAM: Hungry Duhan eyes Fiji try feast

Borthwick has also retained his midfield pairing of Seb Atkinson and Henry Slade, while South African centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg remains among the replacements after making his Test debut last weekend.

ENGLAND – 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 George Martin, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Ellis Genge.
Bench: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Emmanuel Iyogun, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Tom Curry, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Noah Caluori.

Weekend teams

– AFP

Photo: Ed Sykes/Getty Images

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Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made three changes to the side that defeated England in the Junior World Championship semi-final for Saturday’s final against France in Tbilisi.

Wasi Vyambwera will start at No 8, with Gert Kemp moving to the bench where he is expected to provide impact later in the contest. Risima Khosa will start at flanker.

The experienced front-row combination of Oliver Reid, captain Siphosethu Mnebelele and Danie Kruger once again anchor the scrum, while Heinrich Theron and JD Hattingh continue their partnership in the second row.

In the loose trio, Luke Cannon joins Khosa and Vyambwera.

There is only one enforced change in the backline, with Alzeadon Felix coming in at fullback for Luan Giliomee, who received a red card in the semi-final.

The settled halfback combination of Hendre Schoeman and Yaqeen Ahmed will start, next to the midfield pairing of Ethan Adams and Markus Muller, while Khuthadzo Rashivago and Cheswill Jooste provide pace on the wings.

Samuel Badenhorst will join Kemp among the replacements as part of the Junior Boks’ bench, which features six forwards and two backs.

The decider at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium kicks off at 6.30pm (SA time).

The Junior Boks, champions in 2025 after defeating New Zealand in last year’s final, will be aiming to become the first South African side to win back-to-back world titles.

Foote, who is in his second season at the helm of the Junior Boks, said his players were keen to take on France.

“This group has been together since the beginning of the year and they understand the way we want to play,” said Foote.

“We’ve used this week to sharpen our readiness and focus on the areas where we felt we could improve.

“The pleasing aspect of this group is their honesty and accountability. The players are open with each other in their assessments, and together we’ve identified solutions and worked hard on those areas. We believe we have prepared well for what will be a massive challenge.”

Foote added: “France are a very formidable side and fully deserve their place in the final. Their performances in the recent JWC and the Six Nations show that they understand how to perform when playing knockout rugby.”

Junior Springbok team to face France in Tbilisi:

Alzeadon Felix, Cheswill Jooste, Markus Muller, Ethan Adams, Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, Yaqeen Ahmed, Hendré Schoeman, Wasi Vyambwera, Luke Cannon, Risima Khosa, JD Hattingh, Heinrich Theron, Danie Kruger, Siphosethu Mnebelele (capt), Oliver Reid. Bench: Liam van Wyk, Rambo Kubheka, Luan van der Berg, Jaythen Orange, Thomas Beling, Gert Kemp, Jayden Brits, Samuel Badenhorst

LONDON, England, July 16, 2026 – Red Bull are reverting to a conventional rear wing for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix following high-speed crashes for Max Verstappen in the previous two races.

The move has been confirmed to BBC Sport by Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, who said the team had discovered a problem with their previous wing in tests since the race at Silverstone.

Red Bull are reverting to a wing that opens for straight-line mode in standard fashion, Mekies said.

Red Bull and Ferrari have this year pioneered a new design where the rear wing opens into straight-line mode by the top flap rotating more than 180 degrees.

This gives a greater drag reduction and therefore increased straight-line speed.

However, Verstappen’s crashes – one during the British Grand Prix and one in qualifying in Austria – were related to the way the wing closed on entry to two high-speed corners.

These were caused by an aerodynamic disruption when the wing was reverting to its cornering mode after being open on the straights.

Verstappen described the situation as “super-dangerous”.

Mekies would not elaborate on exactly what was causing the problem, which is believed to be related to an issue with the airflow not fully reattaching fast enough when the wing closes.

If so, this would cause a loss of rear downforce and explain why Verstappen suffered his spins.

The decision comes after Red Bull ran a short ‘filming day’ test at Silverstone last week.