England World Cup 2026 Squad | Trafford, Stones, Guehi & Nico in

I subscribe to the idea that's being touted by some, that Tuchel has essentially picked a starting 11, four or five lads he can call on for rotation options or when things get stressful, and then a bunch of other lads who won't kick up a fuss if they're not picked for certain games. He's going to play the same 11 for basically the whole tournament and try to build momentum that way, instead of chopping and changing throughout by giving himself too many options.

We know the starting 11 will most likely be:

Pickford
James Stones Guehi O'Reilly
Rice Anderson
Saka Bellingham Rashford
Kane

Then he's got Trafford, Konsa, Livramento, Eze, and Gordon to bring off the bench or to rotate in during less intense games (like the last group game if England don't need to win). The rest of the squad has been chosen so the media don't spend the whole tournament pressuring Tuchel to start them. Nobody's going to be demanding that Dan Burn starts over Guehi, or Spence over O'Reilly, or Henderson over Rice, or Madueke over Saka, or Toney over Kane etc.

Now imagine Maguire goes but Tuchel starts Stones & Guehi. You've seen how Maguire's acted over not being selected for the squad. Imagine how he'd react if he was dropped. The same goes for Palmer, Shaw, Foden, Bowen, Alexander-Arnold, Gibbs-White, Wharton etc. If England start that 11 up there and then happen to draw their first game 0-0 (or win unconvincingly), imagine the noise the next day, the demands for certain players to be subbed in. It would be relentless in the media and the dressing room.

This way, Tuchel knows he has a reliable squad that won't get in the way of his actual plans.
 
Difficult to know how good the squad is without knowing how Tommy T is going to play. Also don't mind Henderson too much as I think he might be useful to help manage the squad if egos are getting inflamed. Definitely some odd decisions but the manager will have an idea of how he wants to play and what he wants to do and presumably has picked the squad he thinks can best deliver it.

With the possible exception of MGW the creative players have perhaps all had underwhelming seasons and Kane will be dropping into their spaces constantly anyway. I'm ok with him not taking players and hoping they play themselves into form during a tournament. We have seen it not work at loads of tournaments in the past.

It Looks like we will hit Kane so he can spray it to a wide guy and then leg it into the box. Bellingham also crashing the box or ready to ping one in from the edge of the area. Eze can play in the middle for a bit of creativity and Rogers has done ok for England under Tuchel. Probably need Saka to be outstanding to go far.

Personally I'm hoping Anderson will have a great tournament after signing for City and Stones, Guehi and Nico play well. Maguire though has made a proper mug of himself with his comments. I'm surprised he's not gone but he should have said nothing except wish the squad well. His comments seem a little conceited
 
Dax777 said:
Yeah, i forgot Scott and Garner from Everton. Its a tough call.

Rice, Anderson, Wharton, Garner, Scott, Mainoo. Thats a fantastic ore of Central mids.
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Swap our mainoo for gibbs white (who I don't love but is deserving).
 
If we don't get passed the last 8 then there will be many calls for Pep to take over.
 
youngbob said:
I subscribe to the idea that's being touted by some, that Tuchel has essentially picked a starting 11, four or five lads he can call on for rotation options or when things get stressful, and then a bunch of other lads who won't kick up a fuss if they're not picked for certain games. He's going to play the same 11 for basically the whole tournament and try to build momentum that way, instead of chopping and changing throughout by giving himself too many options.

We know the starting 11 will most likely be:

Pickford
James Stones Guehi O'Reilly
Rice Anderson
Saka Bellingham Rashford
Kane

Then he's got Trafford, Konsa, Livramento, Eze, and Gordon to bring off the bench or to rotate in during less intense games (like the last group game if England don't need to win). The rest of the squad has been chosen so the media don't spend the whole tournament pressuring Tuchel to start them. Nobody's going to be demanding that Dan Burn starts over Guehi, or Spence over O'Reilly, or Henderson over Rice, or Madueke over Saka, or Toney over Kane etc.

Now imagine Maguire goes but Tuchel starts Stones & Guehi. You've seen how Maguire's acted over not being selected for the squad. Imagine how he'd react if he was dropped. The same goes for Palmer, Shaw, Foden, Bowen, Alexander-Arnold, Gibbs-White, Wharton etc. If England start that 11 up there and then happen to draw their first game 0-0 (or win unconvincingly), imagine the noise the next day, the demands for certain players to be subbed in. It would be relentless in the media and the dressing room.

This way, Tuchel knows he has a reliable squad that won't get in the way of his actual plans.
Click to expand...
Agree with this.

I have a contact in the England camp and know they rate Stones very highly, due to his temperament as much as his football.

Henderson is there as a babysitter, to make sure they're back at the hotel early and not rolling back at 2am from strip clubs.

I don't trust Gibbs-White to be able to change a game that the starters haven't been able to take the lead in.

I think there's a case for Ngumoha offering something different and he has good numbers and doesn't yet have the massive ego. Probably too soon for him though and he's not Yamal.
 
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youngbob said:
I subscribe to the idea that's being touted by some, that Tuchel has essentially picked a starting 11, four or five lads he can call on for rotation options or when things get stressful, and then a bunch of other lads who won't kick up a fuss if they're not picked for certain games. He's going to play the same 11 for basically the whole tournament and try to build momentum that way, instead of chopping and changing throughout by giving himself too many options.

We know the starting 11 will most likely be:

Pickford
James Stones Guehi O'Reilly
Rice Anderson
Saka Bellingham Rashford
Kane

Then he's got Trafford, Konsa, Livramento, Eze, and Gordon to bring off the bench or to rotate in during less intense games (like the last group game if England don't need to win). The rest of the squad has been chosen so the media don't spend the whole tournament pressuring Tuchel to start them. Nobody's going to be demanding that Dan Burn starts over Guehi, or Spence over O'Reilly, or Henderson over Rice, or Madueke over Saka, or Toney over Kane etc.

Now imagine Maguire goes but Tuchel starts Stones & Guehi. You've seen how Maguire's acted over not being selected for the squad. Imagine how he'd react if he was dropped. The same goes for Palmer, Shaw, Foden, Bowen, Alexander-Arnold, Gibbs-White, Wharton etc. If England start that 11 up there and then happen to draw their first game 0-0 (or win unconvincingly), imagine the noise the next day, the demands for certain players to be subbed in. It would be relentless in the media and the dressing room.

This way, Tuchel knows he has a reliable squad that won't get in the way of his actual plans.
Click to expand...

Good post that. Makes a lot of sense. Just have to hope Stones stays fit!
 
I'd be seriously pissed off if one of the players going essentially as training cones was a city player.

Sacrificing their summer off and a chance to recharge and get a headstart on the rest next season, to go and do all the same work as a player called up for the world cup without ever having the opportunity to take part
 
Bloody Nwaneri, Scouse 'prodigy' Rio, Scott from Bournemouth and some Josh King kid Ive genuinely never heard of in my life called up as back up for the Arsenal CL players now. Guys taking the piss! Surprised Mason the rapist wasn't called up.

Scott is a good player tbf, England fans should hope Henderson gets injured in training so he could come in.
 
madloaf said:
Swap our mainoo for gibbs white (who I don't love but is deserving).
Click to expand...
He is more of an AM. So he is competing with Foden, Palmer, Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Bellingham. Manager took 3. 8 cant say i disagree with those 3. They all have their strengths.
 
Kippax Street 1880 said:
Bloody Nwaneri, Scouse 'prodigy' Rio, Scott from Bournemouth and some Josh King kid Ive genuinely never heard of in my life called up as back up for the Arsenal CL players now. Guys taking the piss! Surprised Mason the rapist wasn't called up.

Scott is a good player tbf, England fans should hope Henderson gets injured in training so he could come in.
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Dont know the 4th kid but those 3 are special youngsters. And i understand why they are being taken.
 
Kippax Street 1880 said:
Bloody Nwaneri, Scouse 'prodigy' Rio, Scott from Bournemouth and some Josh King kid Ive genuinely never heard of in my life called up as back up for the Arsenal CL players now. Guys taking the piss! Surprised Mason the rapist wasn't called up.

Scott is a good player tbf, England fans should hope Henderson gets injured in training so he could come in.
Click to expand...
It's fine isn't it? Just selected some talented young ish kids with some PL experience to be back ups for the friendlies, no need for Foden/Palmer etc to be in those roles. If Saka gets injured say it will be one of those two.
 
Dax777 said:
He is more of an AM. So he is competing with Foden, Palmer, Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Bellingham. Manager took 3. 8 cant say i disagree with those 3. They all have their strengths.
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I think mgw has the flexibility and energy to play as an 8. Other than Bellingham none of those do.
 
youngbob said:
I subscribe to the idea that's being touted by some, that Tuchel has essentially picked a starting 11, four or five lads he can call on for rotation options or when things get stressful, and then a bunch of other lads who won't kick up a fuss if they're not picked for certain games. He's going to play the same 11 for basically the whole tournament and try to build momentum that way, instead of chopping and changing throughout by giving himself too many options.

We know the starting 11 will most likely be:

Pickford
James Stones Guehi O'Reilly
Rice Anderson
Saka Bellingham Rashford
Kane

Then he's got Trafford, Konsa, Livramento, Eze, and Gordon to bring off the bench or to rotate in during less intense games (like the last group game if England don't need to win). The rest of the squad has been chosen so the media don't spend the whole tournament pressuring Tuchel to start them. Nobody's going to be demanding that Dan Burn starts over Guehi, or Spence over O'Reilly, or Henderson over Rice, or Madueke over Saka, or Toney over Kane etc.

Now imagine Maguire goes but Tuchel starts Stones & Guehi. You've seen how Maguire's acted over not being selected for the squad. Imagine how he'd react if he was dropped. The same goes for Palmer, Shaw, Foden, Bowen, Alexander-Arnold, Gibbs-White, Wharton etc. If England start that 11 up there and then happen to draw their first game 0-0 (or win unconvincingly), imagine the noise the next day, the demands for certain players to be subbed in. It would be relentless in the media and the dressing room.

This way, Tuchel knows he has a reliable squad that won't get in the way of his actual plans.
Click to expand...
Good post
 
Kippax Street 1880 said:
Bloody Nwaneri, Scouse 'prodigy' Rio, Scott from Bournemouth and some Josh King kid Ive genuinely never heard of in my life called up as back up for the Arsenal CL players now. Guys taking the piss! Surprised Mason the rapist wasn't called up.

Scott is a good player tbf, England fans should hope Henderson gets injured in training so he could come in.
Click to expand...
They're not backups or standbys they're just players invited to the camps to make up numbers in training sessions. If there were to be injuries before the deadline, they're not automatically the replacements.

Josh king is the kid at fulham who scored a great goal at the start of the season against Chelsea only for it to be ruled out for an accidental standing on a Chelsea defenders foot. Decent talent.
 
The Norfolk Blue said:
Erm, wasn’t TT supposed to be adding players in form?

View attachment 193043
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The top player has had 11 call ups and not been given a start and has only played a total of 91 mins. In my opinion not been given a chance . Just got a feeling Tuchel might be a modern Revie a mercenary manager who has been given an extended contract and can't wait for his pay off from the fa. I think he will be in a club job by Christmas
 
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