It’s fair to say that Thomas Tuchel is still attempting to find the right formula in charge of England. The former Chelsea boss has recalled some old names and introduced some fresh faces, but needs time to get the best out of his options.
His most recent squad once again caused plenty of debate. There were places for Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Ezri Konsa, but Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been forced to watch on from home.
Whilst his decisions have split opinion, there’s no denying that Tuchel is not afraid to make bold decisions – a trait that Gareth Southgate arguably lacked during his time in charge.
The German has already recalled Henderson as well as Rashford and may yet have more returns on the cards. The likes of Fikayo Tomori, for example, were often overlooked by Gareth Southgate despite the fact that he’s played a starring role at AC Milan for some time now. Based on recent decisions, he should be among those at the top of Tuchel’s list to welcome back into the setup.
Every England manager's first game in charge
Thomas Tuchel is the latest manager to make his Three Lions debut.
ByRoss Kilvington
Experience may well be the key to unlocking the silverware that England have been craving and, according to Tuchel, Henderson is a large part of that thinking.
It’s not the first time that the manager has surprised many with his decisions, either. It wasn’t so long ago that one England player was begging Tuchel not to play in a new position.
Tuchel shocked Loftus-Cheek with new position
After joining the likes of Henderson and Rashford to become the latest England recall, Ruben Loftus-Cheek reminisced about the time that Tuchel played him right wing-back.
The Milan midfielder revealed that he refused to play in the role, before the German opted to experiment anyway. The result? A part in four of Chelsea’s six goals against Southampton and a 3-2 victory against Real Madrid. As bizarre as Tuchel’s decision was at the time, it simply worked wonders for the Blues.
Reflecting on his wing-back role earlier this week, Loftus-Cheek said: “I remember when he came into Chelsea and he spoke to me about playing right wing-back. I said ‘no, no, no,no’, but I played there anyway.”
Now back in the England setup, it will be interesting to see whether the Milan midfielder will find himself in an unfamiliar role once more or whether Tuchel allows him to step into the position that he so often thrives in at San Siro.