No more Kyle Walker or Jordan Henderson, Thomas Tuchel needs to start picking his England World Cup squad now

Liam Williams Published: 23 May 25 11:26

Never has there been, nor will there ever be, an England squad announcement that not met with howls of derision.

Fans of clubs are apoplectic that their in-form centre half hasn’t been given the nod, while the more out-of-form player at a bigger club has unfairly been picked once again.

But there are certainly a couple of selections from Thomas Tuchel for the games with Andorra and Senegal that ought to be scrutinised. Tuchel’s second squad announcement sees the likes of Tino Livramento, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarrod Bowen miss out - all of whom had valid claims for inclusion - while Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson somehow remain in the England squad.

One of Gareth Southgate’s biggest mistakes was persisting with Kyle Walker in games where more defensive and technical ability was required and it’s bizarre to see Tuchel selecting two veterans whose only chance of playing in the United States next year will be if they move to MLS clubs.

Tuchel spoke of their leadership skills, but neither Walker or Henderson will be at next year’s World Cup, and Tuchel risks creating a leadership vacuum if he doesn’t make room for younger players.

The World Cup is just over 12 months away and Tuchel needs to be planning for that now.

One thing Southgate did get right was consistency between tournament cycles. Southgate took plenty of flak for his setup against San Marino in 2021 where he played a back-three. Critics were frustrated at a perceived cautious approach against the worst team in the world at the time, but for Southgate it was about his players familiarising themselves with a system.

International coaches don’t get months to work with their players, and while Southgate was often castigated for picking his favourites, he also knew which players would be on the plane and which ones wouldn’t.

Tuchel is right to get a look at as many players as he can in the early days of his reign, but he quickly needs to assess the players who he won’t be taking with him.

Jacob Murphy has had an excellent season with Newcastle, but places in the England squad aren’t handed out as prizes for good form; they’re reserved for players who can help you win tournaments, and Murphy won’t do that, especially with so many talented wingers ahead of him.

The German is fortunate to be blessed with as many wide options as he is. Despite utilising a back-three to great effect in Chelsea’s run to the 2021 UEFA Champions League, Tuchel switched to a 4-2-3-1 with Bayern Munich, which seems to be his preference with England.

It would allow a formidable midfield duo of Adam Wharton (who presumably only misses out due to his concussion, though it’s still a surprise to see him omitted altogether) and Declan Rice which would provide the platform from which England would win the World Cup.

A fit-and-firing-again Phil Foden could drift in off the left, Jude Bellingham would be allowed to play his box-crashing role behind Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka would be deployed on the right.

England certainly have the players capable of winning the World Cup. The likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Ebere Eze, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney don’t get in England’s strongest XI right now and it will make for some frightening options off the bench.

In many ways, Tuchel is the perfect manager for England. His UEFA Champions League win with Chelsea wasn’t a fluke; he’s a masterful tactician for knockout football. He also took Paris Saint-Germain to the final and would’ve done the same with the ill-balanced, misfiring Bayern Munich team of 2023/24 but for Manuel Neuer’s clanger late in the semi-final against Real Madrid.

One flaw in Tuchel’s management has been his talent identification, surprising for such a bright tactical mind that his ability to assess players is often lacking, and it’s the only thing that could hold him and England back in 2026.

England have 12 games before next year’s World Cup and very few if any will be against elite opposition.

The Three Lions boss has precious little time to waste as he gets to grips with the bounty of talented footballers at his disposal, and can’t keep wasting squad places on players he must know will not be on the plane to the United States next year.

Tuchel needs to start picking the right players – and quickly.