Thomas Tuchel knows all too well that his World Cup squad will spark the ultimate pub controversy.
England’s 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament brought joy and heartbreak in equal measure. The impact of Tuchel’s shocking choice is still being felt, although the majority reported on Monday that they would be flying out or attending a training camp in Florida.
Harry Maguire has made his feelings clear after being left off the squad list. “I’m disappointed and shocked,” said the Manchester United defender. Adam Wharton made his case on the pitch when he was named Man of the Match as Crystal Palace defeated Rayo Vallecano to win the Europa Conference League. No one saw Jed Spence coming.
At least there was no Gaza-style bust-up. Paul Gascoigne famously blew up Glenn Hoddle’s hotel room in La Manga after being dropped from the squad ahead of the France 98 game. But Tuchel may not necessarily win many popularity contests, especially after selecting players like Dan Byrne, Jordan Henderson and, to a lesser extent, John Stones.
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Newcastle’s hulking 6ft 7in defender Byrne has the height to suit set-pieces, but looks a bit of a mismatch against the pace of Spanish star Lamine Yamal. Henderson has missed games at Brentford this season through injury, while Stones has barely kicked for Manchester City. A question arises here. Why?
They are good tourists so not everyone can enter. Even if Tuchel intends to give his players plenty of rest in Florida and invites the WAGs to his pre-tournament training base, this is the World Cup, not a holiday camp.
Incredibly, they were able to spend seven weeks together at their pre-tournament base before the first 48-team World Cup, which included an additional final tournament. However, in reality, Tuchel privately believes that the maximum number of players to be used will be 21, based on previous competitions, campaigns and other countries.
This leaves five players who realistically may not receive a kick. They could be sidelined for a total of seven weeks, including pre-camp and potentially playing in the final on July 19, and may not be able to attend any inspections. That five includes two reserve keepers in Dean Henderson and James Trafford, and a number of players will struggle, although some may be absent for Florida’s friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica.
England manager Thomas Tuchel had to stick to his choice (Image: NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock)
England’s Harry Kane prepares to board a plane at Birmingham Airport ahead of the team’s departure to the US (Image: PA Wire)
It was no secret at Euro 2024 that former manager Gareth Southgate brought in a bunch of young players he didn’t know very well, some of whom caused a bit of a stir. The balance has to be right. The concern ahead of Euro 2024 was not just Maguire’s fitness, but also how the experienced player from previous World Cups would react to being a substitute.
Dating back to Maguire’s interview in March after he was recalled from international action for Japan’s friendly against Uruguay, he repeatedly took pains to stress that he would be happy to be part of the World Cup squad if he played even one minute or even a full minute of the tournament. He was a player with a message.
Despite his strong performance against Uruguay, Tuchel was at pains to emphasize afterwards that Maguire was far down the pecking order. Anyone remotely familiar with the England coverage will not share the surprise that Maguire has been left out.
This is not to suggest in the slightest that Maguire is a bad tourist or destructive. Suffice it to say, Tuchel made it clear when he admitted he was “disappointed” that Maguire made a public statement saying he had been left out. Perhaps that has been proven.
Harry Maguire was unimpressed by being left out of the World Cup squad (Image: Getty Images)
But would Wharton have taken it well if, for example, he didn’t get a chance to play in the World Cup and wasn’t even substituted? That might be difficult.
These are important decisions. This is why Byrne joined. That’s because Tuchel sees him as having a good influence, being a good tourist and certainly having the potential to come in handy at set-pieces.
Henderson has propelled himself to the 2024 Euro final. That’s how dedicated he is. Tuchel likes that and likes that he is a positive influence and sounding board for the likes of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
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The Stones are interesting. His appointment not only reflects his qualities, with coach Tuchel calling him a “world-class defender”, but also his great personality. After all, this is a player who, until the final day, had not made a single tackle in the Premier League all season.
Tuchel has tried to draw on previous managers and ask what works and what doesn’t. And one of the clearest messages from the England manager was that it was all about harmony, unity and good tourists. Older players who are a positive influence and are happy to be part of the group, rather than younger players who can be jaded, bored, or disruptive.
It’s really clear. But that magical number 21 actually has logic and reason behind it. The remaining five must be happy just being there.
Palace players are due to report from Wednesday, giving Arsenal’s second squad an extra week, but some will fly straight to Miami from their holidays, while others will fly home from Birmingham on Monday morning.
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