FIFA World Cup 2026: England Tournament Thread [R]

I would have dropped Livramento for Shaw before the squad was picked. Such an obvious option when you can't trust Livramento's body (plus he's been average at best when fit) and you already lack a genuine LB anyway.

 

Probably assuming that he is match ready and not in holiday mode. Which he is probably not.

 

The last thing this England squad needed was another effing centre back, the LAST THING

 

Just feel like the likes of Semenyo and Partey are going to cause a shock.

 

We haven't had an impressive performance under Tuchel but for some reason because he's an elite manager everyone in the media expects us to just turn it on tomorrow because he just has to have something up his sleeve, r-right?

 

And you don't have a feeling about Kane and Bellingham in that game?

 

Come on. So far Tuchel has a perfect record in competitive matches. Ok, only against weak teams. But that does not mean that he can not also succeed against stronger teams.

 

It's a difficult one in that he has so rarely played something approximating his best 11 its basically a mystery how they will do against decent opposition. On paper I don't really have any major issues with his likely starting team, moreso when it comes to him having to make subs which have for most his era been really poor and made the side look worse.

 

The thing l don't get is that we all saw the drawback of having a centre-half as a full back, with Jarell Quansah's incredibly limited first half display against New Zealand.

Tuchel even made a song and dance afterwards about the lack of width on offer, with the wingers and fullbacks (and Quansah in particular) repeatedly choosing to play it safe and come inside. Just tell me, how on earth is Trevoh Chalobah going to be any differenr?

 

Are you talking about friendlies here? In competitive matches Tuchel has mostly made subs when the matches had been won. Of course the side looks worse, but it is not a problem.

 

I'm not that nervous for tomorrow but maybe I should be.

I just don't think we have enough players in form and some of our best players (James, Saka) are Injury prone and need their minutes managing. I also think our squad is very light and imbalances, as many on here have said, if Anderson/James get injured we are considerably weaker through our squad selection without having to be.

I think if we had Trent/Hall and Scott/Jones in the squad I'd feel much more confident. I think we will play well, but unfortunately I can see us making the quarter finals this world cup and don't hold much hope for any further.

 

Look, he is not. But can we be sure that calling up Trent, Shaw or Hall would work, they might be in holiday mode, not match fit, we have no idea about what state they are in. You won't get the same as if you picked them for the original squad.

Biggest problem for me is have thin the squad is behind Tuchels "core" 14-15 players in the first place, and Livramentos injury may have exposed that. Personally, I would have called back Scott since he was just in the camp. Calling in someone completely new, I don't think it really matters at who it is., we can not rely on them.

 

Do people actually get nervous the day before a group stage game? I think they only time I feels those type of nerves/trepidation is a few hours before a big knockout game for club or country

 

I don't feel nervous because we'd have to monumentally capitulate to not qualify from this group. Though obviously it's imperative we finish first to avoid the big names until later on if all goes to plan elsewhere. I always feel nervous in a KO game

 

I got depressed about Livramentos injury and Chalobahs call up. Then I realised that whoever you may call up, is not that important, as they can not play important roles anyway. Bar maybe someone from the Florida squad. But worries about thin squad behind core players have increased. I will be very nervous tomorrow before the match, as I see winning is critical and crucial for Englands fate in this tournament.

 

After watching the Belgium game yesterday. The thing that was painfully obvious was Belgiums game plan is the usual CM double pivot, whilst their attacking play is all setup to flow through their wingers Doku and Trossard. But against Egypt their wingers were often isolated and nullified, because Belgium's fullbacks were dogshit.

England's system under Tuchel is eerily similar to Belgium's, with a symmetrical 4231 and the hope of maximising the strength of our wide attackers. He's clearly gone all in, with a squad selection doubling down on this and everyone and his dog can see it (even Lineker, Neville, Cole et al). However, what is going to happen to England if during the knockouts, our fullbacks become our weak point either through injury/suspension/fatigue or loss of form etc.

He's gone and picked a 26 man squad with no fullback depth, even though his gameplan is totally dependant on elite fullbacks supporting the wingers or breaking the lines themselves (like Hall or Trent often do).

 

Just odd picks

 

Thomas Tuchel: "We called up Trevoh Chalobah so that then we free up Jarell Quansah as a full-back on both sides."

— Dom Smith (@MrDomSmith) June 16, 2026

Quansah is now solely in the squad to cover right and left back.

 

'Jarrell Quansah playing LB for England in a World Cup'

 

have we considered the Saka at LWB option yet?

 

Tuchel confirms that there will be an "in-house game" between the Croatia game and the Ghana game.
"It is true that we try to play an in house match. We have many days between the matches and we can give the players who will not play tomorrow actual load and not only load in…

— Alex Howell (@iamAlexHowell) June 17, 2026

 

have we considered the Anthony Gordon at RWB option yet?

 

Can't get my head around this one at all. If he wanted a full-back, why not call a full-back?

 

Probably thinks Chalobah has top bantz around the camp or summat.

 

Better explanation than I can come up with. It's either that or heatstroke.