England`s head coach, Thomas Tuchel, has made it clear to the team`s numerous gifted attacking midfielders that some of them will be watching the World Cup from home.
Tuchel, the new England manager, faces a wealth of options for the number 10 role, creating a selection dilemma.
Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and Morgan Gibbs-White are all competing for positions as central attacking midfielders.
However, Tuchel has cautioned that not all of these players will travel to the United States next summer. He emphasized the need to build a balanced squad, which means selecting players based on team composition, not just individual talent.
The England manager believes that Real Madrid`s Bellingham, 21, and Manchester City`s Foden, 24, can play together effectively, despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
Chelsea`s key player, Palmer, is currently injured but is also a top-level number 10. Rogers, 22, who plays in a similar role for Aston Villa, a Champions League quarter-finalist team, is expected to start as a winger in the upcoming match against Latvia on Monday.
Gibbs-White, 25, who replaced the injured Palmer in the squad for the recent 2-0 victory against Albania, has been performing exceptionally well in that central role for Nottingham Forest.
Tuchel stated, “Some number 10s simply won`t make the cut. We must ensure we select the right players to form the best team. This might mean leaving out some very talented players.”
“Building the right team is crucial because tournament football is very different from playing in qualifying matches.”
Tuchel appears to favor Bellingham as his primary number 10. His predecessor, Gareth Southgate, often moved Bellingham to the left wing to accommodate Foden.
During his time as interim manager last autumn, Lee Carsley experimented with a starting lineup that included Bellingham, Foden, and Palmer. This unconventional approach backfired when England suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Greece in the Nations League.
Carsley also used Manchester City winger Jack Grealish as a number 10 during his six games in charge last autumn. However, Tuchel has excluded Grealish, 29, due to his lack of consistent playing time at club level.
Tuchel acknowledged that Foden has not consistently replicated his Manchester City performances when playing for England in his 44 appearances.
He commented, “Phil would likely prefer to play as a number 10, and that position might suit him better.”
“We also have Rogers, who has been very impressive, and Palmer.”
“Players must adapt to the roles they are given. Phil is capable of playing on the wing or as a central striker.”
“Currently, he seems to lack something that creative players sometimes experience – confidence and fluidity.”
“He is working hard, and you can see his commitment in defensive actions.”
“It`s just not quite clicking for him at the moment. This is something that can happen at club level as well, not just with England.”
When asked if Bellingham and Foden could play effectively together, Tuchel responded, “Absolutely, they are capable of playing together.”
“Phil`s statistics for Manchester City are exceptionally high, but they aren`t as impressive for the national team. We need to develop a system that allows us to see the same Phil Foden that performs for Man City.”
Tuchel expressed surprise at the widespread attention his public comments about Foden and Marcus Rashford received.
He clarified, “We aim to be transparent. However, nothing I share publicly is new to them; they`ve heard it from me before.”
“I am sometimes taken aback by the interpretations people place on my words, suggesting that Marcus and Phil should feel offended. I don`t see it that way.”
