Not since 1998 and Glenn Hoddle’s omission of the mercurial Paul Gascgoine has an England squad raised so many eyebrows. Thomas Tuchel certainly has the country talking.
No Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer or Phil Foden. No Trent Alexander-Arnold. Ivan Toney in from the cold of the Saudi pro league. Djed Spence over Lewis Hall and Luke Shaw at left back – really?
“I love the tough decisions,” said head coach Tuchel as the squad was announced on Friday morning, although most of it had leaked by then.
Well, he’s certainly made some touch decisions. There’s more discussion over who’s not going than there is over who is. He’s brave, is Tuchel, but will he propel England to World Cup glory though?
Flexibility is Key
Tuchel has clearly opted for flexibility while his choice of full backs and forwards suggests he wants athleticism, overlapping and width. Players are favoured who can provide cover in different positions, or for their off-field leadership. There are players in there who, first and foremost, he trusts, even if there are question marks about their club form.
All this is important for a coach; it can’t be just about players who are in form now. The allegiances, squad dynamic, personal connections are all important. Those who can cope with being couped up in a hotel for six weeks is vital, as is those who can bring light relief and support on pressure. It all has to go into the mix.
Yet there are some major risks in there, especially at the back, which makes the omission of Maguire all the more baffling.
Giving an insight into his selection, Tuchel said: “In the end we went back to the evidence we had – in September, October, November, the leadership group and the team had very few changes in November… that felt we had a bit of fresh air, younger players who played with excitement, it was a good mix of young and old and brought the best out of the players.
“We want to recreate that spirit – that’s why we rely heavily on the group that was with us in those three camps.
“For some it was a positional thing and not bringing five No 10s and making them play out of position.”
Defensively the squad looks brittle, the midfield looks strong while in attack England’s options are as limited as they have been for years. The perennial question of who scores the goals if Harry Kane doesn’t remains an enigma.
Only 14 of the 26 who went to the European Championship finals just two years ago are going to the World Cup. Given it was a young squad, that’s a talking point.
So let’s start with who’s not going.
You could pick a full 11 of possibilities, but arguably the most controversial call is leaving out Harry Maguire.
The Manchester United centre half has enjoyed a good season, particularly since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim as head coach, and has always done the business for England. While legitimate questions can be asked about his pace, his ability in both boxes alone provides big value and he can play left or right side of the two centre backs. He took to social media the night before the squad announcement to say how “gutted” he was.
Only a few weeks ago I wrote that Lewis Hall looked nailed on as starting left back, and he’s not even on the plane. A dip in form at an out-of-sorts Newcastle United has seen Hall suffer, but being left out for Djed Spence is going to be tough to take. Luke Shaw, back in at left back for Manchester United, will doubtless feel the same.
Cole Palmer has had an injury-hit season with Chelsea and his recent form isn’t good. At the FA Cup final last week he made little impact and looked a little lost. He scored for England in the European Championship
It’s no real surprise that Phil Foden hasn’t made the cut. He’s endured two difficult seasons at Manchester City and needs to rediscover the form that set the Premier League alight as a young man.
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White made a late charge and has arguably been the best attacking midfielder in the Premier League during the run in but in a crowded field his form just came too late. Picking players solely on current form would have had him in, but Tuchel has a lot of other things to consider.
Adam Wharton has had an impressive season with Crystal Palace while Jarred Bowen can consider himself unlucky to lose out to others who haven’t played as well as he has this season.
So, what does the squad look like?
Defense
This has to be England’s biggest concern when coming up against the better teams. Marc Guéhi and Ezri Konsa will likely start and are excellent centre backs, with Nico O’Reilly slotting in at left back, a position he hasn’t played all season at Manchester City. Reece James will likely start at right back, though he has enjoyed his best form at Chelsea this season playing midfield, but has major injury doubts hanging over him.
In the supporting role is Dan Burn, who can play in the middle or left back and is a huge presence in the air, but who will add leadership and off-the-pitch value. Djed Spence can play left or right back but has been poor in a dreadful Tottenham team, often not even getting a start. John Stones has only made 15 Premier League appearances this season and only 35 in the last three seasons, but Tuchel likes him and always selects him when he is fit. Which isn’t often. It’s a huge gamble.
Newcastle’s Tino Livramento will push O’Reilly for a start at left back, where he played so well in England’s U21 European Championships success last summer, and can play on the right if preferred to James. But again, he’s struggled with injuries this season and will miss the Magpies’ final Premier League fixture this weekend. Jarell Quansah has represented England at all important youth levels and will fill a centre or right back role after a good season at Bayer Leverkusen.
Jordan Pickford, with 82 England caps, is a certain starter in goal.
Midfield
England are strong in midfield. A central two of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson is excellent, and if they can get Jude Bellingham playing well in front of them, it’s a powerful mix. Morgan Rogers has enjoyed an excellent season in an attacking midfield role for Aston Villa while I’m really pleased to see Eberechi Eze making the cut, which was always touch and go. The Arsenal midfielder can turn a game in a heartbeat and has a vicious shot from 20 yards. Kobbie Mainoo is back in the Manchester United team and his ability to play between the lines is an asset.
The headlines will again be around 35-year-old Jordan Henderson being selected for a major competition, but while it was a legitimate argument when he was playing in Saudi Arabia, he’s enjoyed a very strong season in a Brentford team pushing for European qualification, playing in 31 out of the Premier League’s 37 games so far. His inclusion for leadership and off the bench looks far more justified than it might have done a year ago.
Forwards
Harry Kane. That’s it. What a player. 78 goals in 112 England appearances. England’s all time record goalscorer. An undisputed king of penalty takers. For Bayern Munich, 143 goals in 146 appearances. Just let that sink in for a moment. He’s smashed all manner of Bundesliga records and just keeps going.
It’s what happens behind him that’s a concern. The natural number 2 is Ollie Watkins. The Villa striker has enjoyed a strong end to the season, which is a relief. After an indifferent first half of the season, he’s been banging in the goals of late and is in his best form of the season.
Ivan Toney is a surprise. After being left out of Tuchel’s squads in the last year, and playing in the Saudi pro league, everyone assumed his chances had gone. He’s had a great season at Al-Hilal, scoring 35 goals in 44 appearances, with nine assists, which has put him in line for the league’s golden boot. He’s also, like Kane, an expert penalty taker. But the accusation that will always be levelled is whether he’s playing at a level that’s good enough when he comes up against the world’s best defences. Especially when he goes at the expense of Premier League strikers Danny Welbeck and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Yet the three strikers are the same as Euro 24, providing a rare bit of consistency.
Out wide Bakayo Saka is nailed on to start and rightly so, he’s head and shoulders above the other picks in those areas. Anthony Gordon has been ok for Newcastle this season, but not much more, while Marcus Rashford’s move to Barcelona has been a huge success, with 23 goal contributions and two winners’ medals. But he comes with a lot of baggage, is more of an impact sub and really needs to prove himself on the international stage.
Noni Madueke has been a bit part player for Arsenal this season and can supply off the bench, but he has talent for sure.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
Nick has enjoyed a highly successful career in journalism and the media. He spent 23 years in the UK national print media, including 15 years on the Daily Telegraph as a senior reporter. He is also an experienced commentator and communications expert. His broadcast appearances include Newsnight, Sky News, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Television, BBC Radio Scotland and local television in Scotland and England. He currently hosts The Road to World Cup 26 podcast.
