England are facing World Cup catastrophe – Tuchel has made big mistakes | Football | Sport

The England World Cup squad has caused controversy, with Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold the four omissions to spark the most debate. But it’s not just who has been left out of the squad, but who has been included, that has generated fervent discussion.

The selections of Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah and Ivan Toney have been questioned – although Thomas Tuchel has doubled down and insisted: “Teams win championships – and what we’re trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team. We have players ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.”

The Express Sport team have their say on whether Tuchel’s got it right or wrong with his squad…

I think this is a squad selection that could end up biting Thomas Tuchel on the backside if England go out before the semi-final stage. The likes of Ivan Toney and Jordan Henderson should be nowhere near it.

The latter’s inclusion is particularly baffling and I’m with Roy Keane on this one – does he do card tricks or something? It’s not all bad, though. The inclusion of Dan Burn might raise a few eyebrows, but he is a competent defender and will be useful at set-pieces if England end up needing a late goal in the knockout stages.

I thought Trent Alexander-Arnold would come in given England’s injury uncertainties at right-back, but Tuchel has gone with Djed Spence instead. Only time will tell if that proves to be an inspired decision.

I’m also not mad about Cole Palmer and Phil Foden being left out. They haven’t done enough at club level to warrant a place and there’s no room for sentiment at the World Cup. That said, it certainly isn’t the squad most people were hoping for and it will be interesting to see if Tuchel’s gambles pay off.

Foden and Palmer can’t have any complaints – they’ve not been good enough, irrespective of their big-name statuses. But Maguire’s omission is a cause for concern when a third of the defenders – James, Livramento and Stones – are the most injury-prone trio in the Premier League.

One injury or red card could be calamitous. Morgan Gibbs-White can feel hard done by too, but it was always going to be a tall order in a stacked field of No.10s.

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For all the outrage over Jordan Henderson’s inclusion, him going as the 26th man is not going to make or break our World Cup hopes. Having a defence that is made of glass will shatter them, though.

Reece James and John Stones will spend more time in the treatment room than on the pitch. That leaves us with seven defenders. Jarell Quansah plays in a back three for Bayer Leverkusen. Djed Spence could be a Championship player by then. We’re one Marc Guehi red card away from a catastrophe. Justice for Harry Maguire.

It’s certainly a bold selection from Thomas Tuchel, the most glaring of which being Harry Maguire. The decision to leave him out is just unfathomable. The Manchester United man has been in great form this season, is one of the most capped players available to Tuchel and has been there and done it when it comes to tournaments.

He’s also not a bad goal threat, either. There are literally no downsides to including him and only Tuchel knows the reason why he is not on the plane.

Functionality over matchwinners. That is what Thomas Tuchel has gone for. This World Cup will have some of the highest temperatures on record. Players will get fatigued earlier in such extreme conditions and we may well see more draws than ever as a result.

And when push comes to shove, Tuchel will regret not giving himself the opportunity to bring Cole Palmer or Trent Alexander-Arnold on against tired legs. Instead, Noni Madueke and Tino Livramento will provide serviceable options. England have a starting XI capable of winning the World Cup, but how deep they need to go beyond that this summer will decide their – and Tuchel’s – fate.

As much as there are big calls in this squad, mistakes have been made. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer’s difficult seasons make it understandable that they weren’t selected but to choose a 35-year-old Jordan Henderson over both of them is a shock.

Harry Maguire’s exclusion rings alarm bells too. John Stones missing a lot of the season due to injury means that the centre-half partnership would be Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi, with just Jarrell Quansah as back-up if injuries do occur. Thomas Tuchel is playing a risky game but it could all pay off.

Imagine Spain leaving Lamine Yamal at home after a difficult run of form? Or Brazil not picking Vinicius Junior? Unthinkable. World Cups are won on individual moments, and you need players capable of producing them.

Cole Palmer and Phil Foden might’ve had difficult seasons, but they’ve repeatedly shown, either for club or country, that they’re capable of coming up with magic moments. At least we’ve got Noni Madueke and his three Premier League goal contributions this season, though…

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