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Thomas Tuchel faces three key decisions ahead of England's 2026 World Cup qualifier debut. |
Thomas Tuchel is the third foreign coach to lead the England team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. Therefore, the pressure and controversy surrounding the former Chelsea coach is huge.
Ahead of the first round of Group K matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Tuchel trained with his 26-man squad at St George's Park after announcing his Three Lions squad, which has caused a lot of controversy and conflicting opinions. The German coach faced a number of problems before the opening whistle.
3 or 4 man defense?
The question of whether to play with three or four at the back has been a recurring theme during Gareth Southgate’s eight years in charge, and it is now being asked of Tuchel, who at 51 is adept at both systems.
During his time at Chelsea, Tuchel often used a 3-4-2-1 formation, allowing Reece James and Ben Chilwell to shine as wing-backs, helping the Blues win the 2020/21 Champions League. However, although James is on the list this time, he is playing as a centre-back under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, while England's other left-back options have not really stood out in the wing-back role.
At Bayern Munich, after taking over from Julian Nagelsmann, Tuchel has consistently deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is appropriate for a team that is expected to dominate possession and attack. With a weak World Cup qualifier, Tuchel’s choice of a back four for England would not be surprising, although he could easily switch to a 3-4-2-1 against bigger teams, as Southgate has done.
The fullback problem
The absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw, Lewis Hall and Kieran Trippier (retired from the national team) opens up opportunities for new players in the wing-back position. Tuchel has no shortage of options, especially on the left flank, with four names: Dan Burn, Levi Colwill, Tino Livramento and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Of these, Burn and Lewis-Skelly are waiting for their first England caps. With impressive form in surpassing new signing Riccardo Calafiori to become Arsenal's number one left-back, Lewis-Skelly could well be given a chance.
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Many challenges await Tuchel. |
Livramento stands out for his 1v1 ability, while Burn impresses with his superior physique, although he is also a candidate to replace Harry Maguire in the center of defense, similar to Chelsea's Colwill.
On the right wing, Kyle Walker (34) has the experience advantage, but Reece James is also a worthy option. Under Tuchel at Chelsea, James played well at both right-back and wing-back, and his experience with Joshua Kimmich in Bayern's defence in 2023/24 shows that Tuchel knows how to make the most of versatile defenders.
Who will be England's number 10?
Cole Palmer's injury has made the competition for the No. 10 position fierce, if Tuchel opts for a 4-2-3-1. There are up to 6 potential candidates for the conductor role. Jude Bellingham is the first name mentioned by fans, but Tuchel could use the Real Madrid talent in the No. 8 position alongside Declan Rice - who has excelled in the supporting role at Arsenal in recent times.
However, Rice's pure position in the team is "number 6". If choosing the Rice-Jordan Henderson pair, Tuchel may face negative reactions from the audience, when Henderson was booed in the match against Australia at the end of 2023.
Given Bellingham's ability to finish and create from the back, Tuchel should consider pairing him with Rice, opening up a five-man race for the creative role: Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Curtis Jones, Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Based on current form, either Rogers or Gibbs-White deserve selection, although Gibbs-White's chances are affected as he was only called up after Palmer withdrew.
Tuchel's decisions in his debut match will shape his coaching style at England, in a context where the coach receives great expectations and scrutiny from fans and experts.
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