“Surprise, surprise” – Tuchel given “food for thought” over missing England players
England produced a brilliant performance in Greece despite being without many regulars, and that’s given Thomas Tuchel some food for thought for when he takes over in January according to Stan Collymore.
Although some players were missing through injury, it was blindingly obvious that the withdrawals of others were down to directions from their clubs.
The Nations League has never really been a tournament that’s been taken to, and with so many other fixtures ahead this season, a fortnight’s rest for players now, could benefit them at the business end of the season.
Tuchel has food for thought says Collymore
Current England boss, Lee Carsley, had already made some big calls previously, and Curtis Jones’ brilliant debut was just one of many bright spots in Thursday night’s fixture.
Stan Collymore believes that it could well be a watershed moment for the national team.
“I think that Harry Kane will actually have been briefed to let it be known how important it is to turn up for England on a regular basis, because I don’t think he’s a particularly contentious individual,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.
“And surprise, surprise, when you don’t have the best players available, when players have just got to put the kit on, go out and do a job without all the big build up, lo and behold; Madueke, excellent. Ollie Watkins, a goal. Curtis Jones, excellent finish. Players like Morgan Gibbs White coming on.
“Utilising a full squad of 23 poses questions such as is Harry Kane gonna start? Is Ollie Watkins going to start? Where’s Declan Rice? Where’s Bukayo Saka?
“When you strip all that back, the manager can pick players who can look them in the eye and say that yes, EVERY Three Lions game is important to me.
“Make no bones about it, just because Greece are low down in the rankings and we’re fourth, they turned us over at Wembley and we owed them one.
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“Without all the bells and whistles and the superstars that were going to turn up and give them a hiding I think a lot of England fans would have thought that we might just about nick a win and it might be boring.
“The result on Thursday is proof that Thomas Tuchel must come in and almost be blind about the names. Get his scouts out there, pick on form, pick players for his system. If that means no Harry Kane, if that means no Jude Bellingham, if that means no Bukayo Saka, so be it.
“The balance and blend was there in Greece in a way that it hasn’t been in the preceding games so it’s very much food for thought for Tuchel.”
Whether Tuchel will be brave enough to be the new broom that comes in and sweeps clean isn’t clear, though with a stated aim of bringing the World Cup back to England 60 years after their last win, the German will surely consider any and all alternatives available to him.
Gareth Southgate has changed the perception of what playing for England means and is about, and he certainly wasn’t frightened to modify his starting XI and squad more generally if he felt it necessary.
Players that didn’t make themselves available on Thursday or this coming Sunday may have inadvertently done themselves a huge disservice.
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