Manager Thomas Tuchel relied on England’s depth to secure victory against Wales, with Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish left out of the squad for the international break.
Manager Thomas Tuchel has warned that “the competition is on” for England’s World Cup squad. Tuchel insisted he was not considering leaving out big names such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Cole Palmer.
That’s because his only focus is on the players who scored five goals against Serbia and three against Wales, which is heating up for next summer. With the likes of Morgan Rodgers and Elliott Anderson getting opportunities, it’s clear it’s going to be a long road back.
Asked what he expected from the big names who were not selected in England’s win over Wales, Tuchel said: “At the moment it’s only about the players who are in camp.”
“And this is where our focus is as well. The door is always open and anyone can jump in. The competition is on.”
It was a tough battle against the likes of Bellingham, but Tuchel was amused when asked if he could imagine having all the big names on the bench at the World Cup.
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Tuchel said: “You’re thinking too much. You’re imagining too much. Maybe we all have the flu!”
“I know what you want to do with it. But can you acknowledge that Morgan did something great, that the team did something great, and that he recognizes that?”
“He’s a humble player. He’s a physical player. And, of course, he’s a very talented player. And in a good way. We need more than 11 players at the moment. This was the starting lineup.”
But could Tuchel imagine leaving out Bellingham, Palmer and Foden for the World Cup? His answer was clear. Because he just doesn’t think about names. He’s all about the team.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t follow that line of thinking,” Tuchel said. “I’m a football coach who coaches the team I draft, and that’s my focus.
“But with all this going on, when you’re on a river, you say let’s cross the river. Lathering and thinking about what might or might not happen doesn’t help anyone.”
“I’m still absolutely convinced that the players who were in Serbia and who were in the last camp against Andorra deserve to be in this camp. This is where the focus should be, they deserve respect and they had a great performance against Wales as well.
“We made four changes from the game in Serbia. We had to make four changes, but it was smooth and everyone who started played with the same energy.”
“Listen, we only had a day and a half to prepare, so I’m happy with the camp so far. I’m happy to prove another point. The next camp is the next nomination.”
And his comment about “proving another point” was clearly aimed at those who were questioning his decision to remove Bellingham, Foden and Grealish from the squad while Palmer was still on the disabled list. It would be impossible to imagine excluding Real Madrid star Bellingham, England’s best player, from next summer’s World Cup squad.
But Tuchel really posed a challenge. England theoretically qualify for Tuesday’s game against Latvia and, if other results go well, could face Serbia and Albania next month. Two friendlies are scheduled for next March at Wembley.
Tuchel will announce the name of his squad before heading to the United States, but insists every training session, every camp and every match is important now as time is running out. But it’s clearly a matter of character as well as talent.
Is the door still open? Tuchel added: “Let’s play the second game and then decide. The door is always open for the best quality, the best character if the nomination comes. We are now in October, so we will proceed step by step.”
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