Thomas Tuchel's squad selections for England have sparked debate about how to utilize his talented midfielders, particularly Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. The German manager wants Bellingham's "edge," or fire, but also needs him to fit into the team's tactical structures and squad hierarchies.
Tuchel has previously been criticized for leaving out Bellingham from the England squad, which led to the midfielder responding with impressive performances for Real Madrid against Barcelona and Juventus. However, Tuchel is now keen to harness Bellingham's skills in a more effective way, using him to intimidate opponents rather than teammates.
Foden, another talented No 10, has also struggled to find his footing in an England shirt since March. Tuchel believes that Foden needs clarity and structure, as he thrives when playing for Manchester City with clear roles and tasks. The German manager is eager to adapt his tactics to suit Foden's strengths, positioning him in the middle of the pitch as a central No 9-10 hybrid.
One major question mark is how many No 10s can England afford to take to the World Cup. While Tuchel has shown an ability to experiment with different formations and player positions, there is a risk of over-reliance on these creative players. Foden's role will be crucial in this regard, as he needs to adapt to playing alongside Harry Kane rather than taking up a wide position.
Tuchel also hinted at using Foden as a false 9 against Serbia or Albania, which could provide an interesting tactical dynamic. Meanwhile, the connection between Bellingham and Kane is still lacking, with the duo only combining for one goal in their 35 games together. Tuchel recognizes that this partnership needs to be nurtured, but also emphasizes the importance of leaving ego at the door.
Ultimately, Tuchel's approach will determine whether England can become a formidable force on the world stage. With careful management and strategic deployment of his talented midfielders, the German manager could unlock the full potential of Bellingham and Foden, creating a strong and cohesive team that can make a real impact at the World Cup.
Tuchel has previously been criticized for leaving out Bellingham from the England squad, which led to the midfielder responding with impressive performances for Real Madrid against Barcelona and Juventus. However, Tuchel is now keen to harness Bellingham's skills in a more effective way, using him to intimidate opponents rather than teammates.
Foden, another talented No 10, has also struggled to find his footing in an England shirt since March. Tuchel believes that Foden needs clarity and structure, as he thrives when playing for Manchester City with clear roles and tasks. The German manager is eager to adapt his tactics to suit Foden's strengths, positioning him in the middle of the pitch as a central No 9-10 hybrid.
One major question mark is how many No 10s can England afford to take to the World Cup. While Tuchel has shown an ability to experiment with different formations and player positions, there is a risk of over-reliance on these creative players. Foden's role will be crucial in this regard, as he needs to adapt to playing alongside Harry Kane rather than taking up a wide position.
Tuchel also hinted at using Foden as a false 9 against Serbia or Albania, which could provide an interesting tactical dynamic. Meanwhile, the connection between Bellingham and Kane is still lacking, with the duo only combining for one goal in their 35 games together. Tuchel recognizes that this partnership needs to be nurtured, but also emphasizes the importance of leaving ego at the door.
Ultimately, Tuchel's approach will determine whether England can become a formidable force on the world stage. With careful management and strategic deployment of his talented midfielders, the German manager could unlock the full potential of Bellingham and Foden, creating a strong and cohesive team that can make a real impact at the World Cup.
i think tuchel's got it rite in trying 2 harness bellingham & foden's skills. he's gotta find the right balance between creatin & destroyin on the pitch. and omg a central no 9-10 hybrid? that sounds like a game changer! 
but u know what's also gonna be intresting? how england adapts 2 hav multiple no 10s in one squad!! 
let's hope tuchel can make it work without creatin a mess 
but needs to be utilized effectively by the team. And Foden, man... he's got that magical touch but sometimes gets lost in translation 
when playing with England. The idea of adapting his tactics to suit his strengths is a solid move, and I'm loving the thought of him as a central No 9-10 hybrid 
. Jude Bellingham's got this "edge" thing but sometimes I feel like hes trying too hard 
. But Tuchel's right, they need structure and clarity on the pitch. It'd be great if Kane could help bring Bellingham into the fold 
. And I'm curious to see how it all plays out against Serbia or Albania, using Foden as a false 9 could be a game-changer 
. The key is gonna be finding that balance between being creative and working together as a team 
️
with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden inside 
. The box has to be designed just right so their skills don't get wasted 
, but it needs to fit into the team's structure 
. Too much freedom can lead to him playing against teammates 
to thrive. We need a balance between creativity and cohesion 
.
. But if Tuchel can adapt his tactics 
and nurture connections like Bellingham-Kane 
, they could become unstoppable 
does England need to assemble for the World Cup? We'll see what happens when we put all these thoughts together 
. Like, what's with the No 10 vs no 9 thing? Can't we just play both and be creative for once? 
Foden needs to feel like he's part of a system, not just some special player who gets dropped in whenever it suits England's gameplan. And Bellingham, I get that Tuchel wants him to bring the "edge", but can't we try something different instead of playing him out wide all the time? 
️. I mean, Jude's been on fire for Real Madrid, right? 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Tuchel can make it all work... Fingers 
!
I mean, Kane's been doing a great job as the primary striker, so why do we need someone to play alongside him? 
amazing. I'm excited to see how they fit into the team, but let's not get ahead of ourselves 
foden needs clarity and structure, sounds like he thrives under pep guardiola not sure if tuchel can replicate that magic for him 
. It's about time he gets Bellingham firing on all cylinders 
On a more serious note, I love how Tuchel's willing to adapt his tactics to get the most out of these players. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out at the World Cup 
.
. Over-reliance on creative players is a risk, but if done right, it could pay off big time 
phil foden is like the ultimate city boy, he thrives in structure so let's get him in the middle of the pitch 
i love how tuchel's being clear about not wanting ego issues, it's like "listen guys we're all in this together" 
now the question is can they make it work for the world cup? 
fingers crossed!
! Tuchel gotta find the right balance between Bellingham's edge 
. But with Kane leading the charge, Foden can thrive as a false 9 
. We need to see more of that partnership 
, England could be unstoppable 
. but if tuchel can get foden and bellingham working together, that'd be 
And what about Bellingham and Kane - they need to work together if we want them to be effective. It's like trying to get two puzzle pieces to fit without even having the picture to guide us 
. Can we really trust him to make the right calls this time around? I'd love to see some more analysis and data-driven decision making behind these squad selections 
.