After much speculation and anticipation, Thomas Tuchel announced his first England squad this morning. England squad announcements are often more talked about and newsworthy than the games that follow them, and this was no exception.
Many have been looking forward to this new era under Tuchel, after the weary end to Gareth Southgate’s transformative but ultimately incomplete reign, and I even wrote about why Tuchel was such an inspired choice to follow him. Which is why the announcement this morning was so underwhelming; rather than the giant step forward that Tuchel’s appointment was meant to represent, he appears to have taken a confusing backwards step instead.
You’ll have seen the headline inclusions: 34-year old Jordan Henderson returns from the International wilderness, despite currently playing his club football for Ajax in the Eredivisie. Marcus Rashford is back after an upturn in his form since moving to Aston Villa, whilst there is also a place for 34-year old Kyler Walker and even a first ever call-up for 32-year old Dan Burn. Hardly a squad that suggests “Bold New Direction.” Frankly, “Dad’s Army” would be more fitting.
The most worrying and damning thing about this selection is that, whilst I know this isn’t the case, it indicates that Tuchel hasn’t watched any Premier League football since he last managed in the division, back in September 2022. Back then, Henderson, Rashford and Walker would have been absolute shoo-ins for the squad, but things move quickly in the football world and there is rarely room for sentiment once a player passes their peak.
A word on Henderson first. I believe everything Tuchel said about the former Liverpool captain earlier today: he has proved throughout an outstanding career that he possesses considerable leadership qualities and is an important personality in the England dressing room. Those are valid considerations, but they should not be enough to earn you a place in the squad. For context, ex-England internationals Chris Smalling, Andros Townsend and Jesse Lingard are also in their 30’s and are also playing in second-rate leagues around the world. Were they in contention for the squad as well? I’m joking, but you get my point. If you’re not playing in the Premier League or an equivalent standard, that should instantly rule you out from national selection.
If Tuchel desperately needed Henderson’s character around the group, there are other ways of managing that, such as what Southgate did with Tom Heaton in the Euros last summer, essentially bringing him in as an extra body for training and to support the group from an experience and motivation perspective. Maybe Henderson wouldn’t want to do that at this stage of his career, but that might be a better use of his character and leadership skills, rather than him taking the place of a more deserving potential teammate.
Similar to Henderson but perhaps not as extreme, is the case of Walker. Another storied England stalwart of the last ten years, but one who once again time seems to have caught up to. He was targeted and consistently beaten by practically every left-winger in the Premier League for the first half of the season and his January move to AC Milan seemed to signal that even he knew his time at the very top level was at an end.
Rashford, at only 27, is not in this group and should actually be at the very peak of his career. However, he has spent the best part of two years looking like he’d rather be anywhere else than on a football pitch, and whilst his move to Aston Villa does seem to have given him a much-needed new lease of life, his highlights so far have basically been setting up Marco Asensio for a couple of tap-ins. What kind of precedent does it set to the rest of the contenders for the squad that all Rashford seems to have to do is actually try for a change and he’s catapulted straight back into the squad at pretty much the first opportunity?
The strange choices continue. As a Chelsea fan, I love Reece James and know what a world-class player he can be when playing at his very best, but Reece has been plagued with injuries for nearly three years now and surely can’t be relied on as a long-term option. If he picks up another injury whilst away on International duty, that would only come across as gross negligence on Tuchel and England’s part.
And finally, whilst it is hard not to feel delighted for Dan Burn and revel in what a good story his particular footballing journey has been, at 32, is he really the best option we’ve got at centre-half? Can I honestly see him starting a World Cup final against a Mbappe or Yamal? The answer to both is surely, unfortunately no.
The final point I want to make is not about the choices themselves but rather a comment Tuchel made in his press conference and a wider issue that it raises. He claimed that all of the players selected in this squad would be in contention for the World Cup in 2026. Obviously, for the multitude of reasons outlined above, I don’t think that’s true, but that’s not my biggest problem with it.
England’s two games in this latest, godforsaken international break are against Albania and Latvia. I am all for doing things properly and I get that Tuchel wants to start as he means to go on, regardless of the opposition, but should this not represent a perfect opportunity to inject some new blood into the team and try out some new combinations? What benefit is there to giving Henderson, Walker and even Kane another couple of caps? Surely he would be better served giving minutes to the likes of Gibbs-White, Wharton, Branthwaite and Delap among others.
If, for argument’s sake, England couldn’t pick any player with more than twenty caps, we would still win both games comfortably. Latvia are ranked 140th in the world, so let’s be honest, we could rule out all Premier League players and still pick a squad capable of beating them. Albania, at 69th in the world, probably merit a bit more respect, but the point remains.
Even if you dismiss my view, what is a certainty is that Tuchel, like Southgate before him, will pick another, much more important squad ahead of the World Cup in 2026. And I guarantee that when he does, he’ll rule out certain players based on the fact they “don’t have enough international experience.” It’s a self-inflicted problem and one that can only be addressed by bolder, more courageous selections in the run-up to a major tournament. Tuchel has shown he is not willing to do that, and that’s a crying shame.
In fact, the best way to sum it all up is that rather than selecting a squad that looks ahead to 2026, Tuchel seems to have picked one that belongs firmly in 2022.
George F Brown 