England have a 1-0 lead against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final and were largely in control of the tactical battle. With 30 minutes remaining, the head coach of England who is paid £5 million a year and entrusted with the task of delivering results against elite international opposition, chose to introduce a raft of defensive substitutes and parked the bus. England dropped deep, inviting sustained pressure, severing their own midfield supply lines and sacrificing the pace and threat of their counter-attacks. In the process, they handed Lionel Messi repeated licence to attack at England’s defence. A disastrous decision. It was arguably one of the most self-defeating tactical decisions in the history of the England national team.