Thomas Tuchel has delivered a stark warning that one of England’s top players might be left out of the World Cup squad. The England manager emphasised the importance of selecting the “right team” rather than just gathering top talent ahead of the upcoming tournament in the United States.
With a wealth of options like Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Anthony Gordon competing for attacking roles, Tuchel faces a selection headache so intense that not all can fit into a 23-man squad—perhaps even a 26-man roster will be challenging in the States, not to mention players such as Jarrod Bowen who is having a standout season with West Ham.
Even Under-21s chief Lee Carsley could not make it work when he opted for all of them in an ill-fated experiment as interim boss against Greece at Wembley, leading to a defeat. Tuchel’s tone is clear; he is prepared to shake up the status quo and bruise some hefty egos to seek the right chemistry and secure his victorious strategy within the next 16 months.
Tuchel, gearing up for a match against Latvia at Wembley on Monday night, remarked: “We have to get the process right to find the best group. If that means we leave very good and talented players out of the squad, this can happen.
“In the next 16 months it is important we find the right team and not the most talented 26 players. We need to get the team right. We need to get the team spirit right because it’s one thing to play qualifiers, it’s another thing to play tournament football.”
“There are a lot of No.10 positions. It’s just not possible we play all these No.10 positions. In the end we need to understand and get the balance right. Is this then in a 3-2 and we have two No.6s and three No. 10s?.
“But then the likes of real wingers, like Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, key players, would suffer because the position would not be there. Do we accept that we have less control and we have two wide wingers? Then some No.10s simply cannot play. It has to be balanced.”
Tuchel also hinted at a potential tactical switch against Latvia, suggesting a possible lineup change to a 4-1-4-1 formation with Declan Rice anchoring the midfield and potentially pairing Rogers with Bellingham centrally.
Despite both players vying for the No.10 role in England’s squad, Tuchel is confident in their compatibility: “100 per cent, they can play together. I don’t see one reason why they should not.
“The numbers of Phil are unbelievably good for Man City. They are not so good for the national team, so we need to try to build something to see the Phil Foden from Man City.
“Jude played as a 10 and I think Phil would maybe prefer to play as a 10 and maybe it would suit him even more. In the end, the players have to take what they get.”
“I think that Phil can play on the wing, he played on the wing and he can also play as a nine in the middle of the pitch. In general, he’s just missing what these creative players sometimes are missing. Confidence and the flow.
“He’s trying hard, you see the investment in defensive actions. It’s just not really happening that you could say like, ‘Wow’. You see it in the clubs, it’s not only here.”
This article was originally published on Mirror.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk