England are in the midst of a run of three matches against the top three sides in world football. That is unprecedented.

Far from being a dead rubber, Saturday’s third-place play-off against France has huge ramifications for how this World Cup will be remembered – and almost certainly for Thomas Tuchel’s future.

Let’s be clear: the Football Association (FA) is still fully behind the England manager, and Tuchel said in the aftermath of the semi-final capitulation to Argentina that he is “100 per cent” committed to the role, up to and including the European Championships in 2028.

But I have never before seen such an outpouring of criticism towards any England boss when the team has, on paper, had a largely successful World Cup.

Even Donald Trump questioned Thomas Tuchel’s tactics during World Cup semi-final game between England and Argentina

Remember, Tuchel’s team has gone all the way to the semi-final of a major tournament and only lost to a team that contains the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi. A team that has won their last 15 knockout games and claimed the last three major international tournaments in which they have played (two Copa Americas and one World Cup).

Despite that, Tuchel has been vilified. He has been roundly criticised from every quarter, including myself, for switching to a back five – and then bringing on a sixth defender in Nico O’Reilly – to try to protect a slender 1-0 lead in Atlanta

To add insult to injury, Tuchel went on to say he had “no regrets” about the decisions he’d taken and he thought the problem on the night was a systemic inability of English players to maintain possession, rather than any failings with his tactics. He repeated that sentiment in his press conference ahead of the France game.

Thomas Tuchel said he does not regret his sub decisions in the semi-final World Cup game between England and Argentina

It was bullish in the extreme, as you might expect of any elite coach who is backed into a corner and for whom there is no room for self-doubt.

But it has been made clear to me that it is not just some sections of the media and England’s support that Tuchel has temporarily alienated. A number of players within Tuchel’s squad – some of them senior – think the head coach got it wrong.

 News takes a closer look at the stats that show where England went wrong against Argentina

There is frustration with their own performances for sure. The players themselves know they’d dropped too deep and failed to keep the ball effectively in the 17 minutes after they’d scored and before Tuchel made his first substitution.

But there is bemusement at the tactical decisions which led to England blowing what one source said to me was “their best chance ever” to get to a World Cup final.