Head coach is keen to focus on positives but Nations League squad hints at desire for greater tactical options
Thomas Tuchel should be listening to the 0.1%. As Tuchel unveiled his first England squad since the World Cup, he said 99.9% of supporters he bumped into did not talk about his substitutions during the Argentina game. According to him, the conversation is far more positive. Memories are shared of the knockout wins over Mexico and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It seems those who want to take the England head coach to task over the retreat in the semi-final in Atlanta are in the minority.
This is, of course, hard to quantify. Is it really 99.9%? We can take Tuchel at face value, but relying on anecdotal evidence goes two ways. A lot of fans are not ready to move on yet. The national mood is far more downbeat than Tuchel imagines and he is kidding himself if he thinks people have forgiven the way England folded after going 1-0 up against Argentina early in the second half.
Tuchel wants to look forward as he prepares for the start of the Nations League. He was stung by the criticism after the defeat by Argentina. He was proud of England beating France to claim the bronze medal three days later. Tuchel faced the media at Wembley on Friday and joked about his bosses at the Football Association telling him off for his defensive changes against Argentina. Switching to serious mode, he insisted the narrative should be directed by the 6-4 win over France.
The problem with focusing on the future is that Tuchel’s squad for Spain, Czechia and Croatia has to be viewed in the context of everything that happened at the World Cup. Noni Madueke, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney have been dropped from the 26 selected last summer. However, Tuchel suggested his initial intention was to maintain continuity from the World Cup. Injuries led to a shift, depriving England of Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, John Stones, Reece James, Djed Spence and Jordan Henderson, leaving room for Tuchel to call up players whose presence lends a sense of renewal to the process.
Hauling Trent Alexander-Arnold out of cold storage is an intriguing if slightly perplexing move. Why now? Does Tuchel actually trust the Real Madrid defender? Would Alexander-Arnold, who had not been selected since June 2025, be here if Spence, James or even Ben White were fit? The former Liverpool right-back has been in fitful form for José Mourinho’s Madrid and has never established himself with England. For Alexander-Arnold the challenge is to make sure he remains in the picture in November. Tuchel, who does not intend to use the 27-year-old as a midfielder, told the newcomers that earning a call-up had to be followed by performing in an England shirt.
The message from Tuchel was that he has had no sleepless nights over his World Cup squad. He wants to bottle the brotherhood, the team spirit. Fine, but there are technical and tactical flaws to address. There was an interesting pause from Tuchel when a reporter linked the selections of Alexander-Arnold, Alex Scott and Cole Palmer to whether England had enough forward passers at the World Cup. The memory of Tuchel’s comment after the Argentina game about ball possession not being part of England’s DNA lingers.
After his appointment Tuchel talked about England needing to tap into the pace and power of the Premier League. At the World Cup, though, the only time they really went full throttle was during the second half of their win over Croatia in their opening game. Otherwise they were overly reliant on stout defending and moments of inspiration from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
The frustration is England tumbled into a place where they had neither Spanish-style possession nor Premier League chaos. Tuchel would like his players to show more balance, to rest with the ball at times, but says he is more inclined to “embrace the chaos” and replicate the fury of the Croatia second half.
Easier said than done, of course, when international football is so often dominated by the smartest passing teams. England, Tuchel said, were not the “most economical” side. The intensity of the Premier League takes a lot out of his players.
There is an argument, though, that Tuchel tied his hands with his midfield choices. With Declan Rice flagging against Argentina, England needed to introduce legs alongside Elliot Anderson. There were few alternatives. Jordan Henderson had a broken wrist and is 36. Tuchel selected Kobbie Mainoo, who is nimble in tight areas, but then did not use the Manchester United midfielder.
It was an oversight from Tuchel, who admits he has a duty to look at Mainoo properly this time. There were ways for England to ensure they did not end up in a grim 5-4-1 against Argentina. Myles Lewis-Skelly was playing well in Arsenal’s midfield at the end of last season. Scott was shining for Bournemouth. Lewis-Skelly and Scott have been selected this time. Tuchel remains cold on Adam Wharton.
There will always be contentious choices. Morgan Gibbs-White and Josh King are unlucky to be left out. Liam Delap could have been chosen over Dominic Calvert-Lewin as Kane’s deputy. But this is a good squad, with quality in all areas and an injection of youth to add excitement. Rio Ngumoha, Liverpool’s teenage winger, is part of the new wave. Jarrad Branthwaite looks like the new Burn after edging Levi Colwill out in central defence. Lewis Hall can advance his cause at left-back and leaving Madueke out for Palmer suggests Tuchel is willing to be more versatile in attack after picking like-for-like players in every position at the World Cup.
Palmer may not run in straight, sharp lines down the flanks but Chelsea’s No 10 is a better footballer than Madueke. England have technicians. Fans do not want to see more fear. They want Tuchel to find a way to coach this group. England start their Nations League campaign with a home game against Spain and more than 0.1% of supporters will be waiting to see whether Tuchel has learned from his mistakes.
