Thomas Tuchel rages at 'struggling' England star during DR Congo comeback

Thomas Tuchel cut a frustrated figure as England trailed DR Congo (TSN)

Thomas Tuchel

was seen raging at Djed Spence during

England

’s last-gasp comeback against DR Congo at the

World Cup

England were stunned early on in their round-of-32 match

as Brian Cipenga’s goal in the seventh minute put DR Congo in front

The Three Lions struggled to find a way through following a resilient defensive display from DR Congo and an impressive performance from goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.

Shortly before half time, England were left furious after

Harry Kane was denied a penalty when he was clipped by Mpasi inside DR Congo’s area

Tuchel cut a frustrated figure after the break and in the 61st minute, the England manager was seen berating Spence on the touchline as he angrily pointed and shouted at the

Tottenham

full-back.

This is not the first time that Tuchel openly blasted Spence on the sidelinesat the World Cup this summer

as he was furious with the Spurs defender during England’s goalless draw with Ghana in the group stage

Thomas Tuchel angry at Djed Spence

pic.twitter.com/cy1aQtwwVh

— Liam Delap (@EvilDelap)

July 1, 2026

Harry Kane rode to England’s rescue as his two goals sealed a 2-1 win for the Three Lions,

who will now play Mexico in the round of 16

‘The right-back position is a conundrum,’ said former England defender

Micah Richards

after the late victory over DR Congo.

‘You’ve had Declan Rice to fill in at right-back, Djed Spence has played only 298 minutes at right-back, he’s used to playing on the left.

‘To someone who hasn’t played full-back, you might think it’s the same, but it’s actually not, your body position is completely different, you’re crossing from one side.

Thomas Tuchel was furious with Djed Spence during England’s comeback win against DR Congo (The FA via Getty)

‘He really struggled today, Spence. I don’t want to keep going back to who we haven’t got, but when you’ve got the injury to [Tino] Livramento it’s a problem, when [Jarell] Quansah went out it’s a problem, Reece James.

‘Now you’re thinking could Trent’s [Alexander-Arnold] quality give us something different in this game. Those are the question marks that he [Tuchel] is probably asking himself now.

‘If you want to go with Rice at right-back, you lose Rice’s pace and power in that midfield area. I think there are certainly things England need to look at if they want to go further in this competition.’

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USA starting lineup vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina: World Cup Round of 32:Christian Pulisic returns from injury to lead the USMNT against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup Round of 32. The US topped Group D, while Bosnia advanced as a third-place team.

Spanish press writes off England as World Cup contenders after narrow escape against DR Congo:Harry Kane scored two late goals to rescue England in a 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo, securing a World Cup last-16 spot. Spanish newspaper Marca doubts England's title credentials despite the victory.

Tuchel must end England experiments before they end their World Cup dream:England's 2-1 win over DR Congo highlighted defensive disarray. A makeshift backline conceded early, raising questions over Tuchel's team selection and tactical experiments ahead of a crucial clash with Mexico.

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