This is the fourth time in history that England have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. The Three Lions have struggled on several occasions so far this summer, paving the way for the semi-finals with brave wins over the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico and Norway.
A win against Argentina on Wednesday night will make history for Thomas Tuchel’s side as they reach their first World Cup final since 1966. Tuchel himself has received much praise for his achievements at the World Cup, but was initially criticized for his selection of squads.
The inclusion of the likes of Noni Madueke, Jed Spence and Dan Byrne was criticized, but so far it has worked out well. Madueke deputized for the injured Saka, while Spence and Byrne have performed well, having featured from the bench in each of England’s last two knockout wins.
The story has turned a complete 180 degrees, with Tuchel earning praise for the way he has managed his team and utilized all areas of the team. Over England’s six games at the World Cup so far, Tuchel has used 20 of his 23 outfield players, including the selection of Jordan Henderson, which really raised eyebrows.
The trio who have yet to play a game are Trevor Chalobah, Ivan Toney and Koby Mainu. The first two are not too surprising given that Chalobah was drafted in as a replacement for the injured Tino Libramento on the eve of England’s first game.
Toney, on the other hand, is thought to be joining the squad as a penalty specialist given his impressive record in the spot. But what about Mynu?
The Manchester United youngster has turned his season around under manager Michael Carrick and entered the World Cup in top form. Given Declan Rice’s injury problems, it’s perhaps a bit surprising that Maynou hasn’t seen much of the pitch so far.
Reece James, who prefers to play at right-back, was brought on at half-time of Saturday’s game against Norway, replacing the out-of-form Rice. Tuchel said of his decision: “It was very good (as a sub), Reece James was great, Morgan Rodgers was great today, Evs (Eze) has grown into his game, Jed has grown into his game.”
“I give them a lot of credit,” he added, before adding: “But overall, yeah, we were lucky today. It’s about quality. We need to play better. We’ll be better.”
By reaching the last four, England are guaranteed to play at least two more games in the semi-finals and final, or the third-place match. Mainu, Toni and Chalobah are still hoping for a chance to feature soon.
