Man United legends question Tuchel’s decision to omit Real Madrid superstar: ‘A head scratcher’ | OneFootball

England had to rely on some late magic from Harry Kane to secure a hard-fought win over Congo DR in the Round of 16 in the World Cup.

What was particularly striking about England’s poor performance is the lack of incisiveness from the right flank, with both right-back Djed Spence and right winger Noni Madueke failing to make an impact.

This led to many questioning Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave out Trent Alexander-Arnold from the England squad at the World Cup, including Manchester United legends such as Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane and Gary Neville.

Rooney and co weigh in

Rooney and co cannot understand Tuchel’s decision to omit Trent. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Former England captain Wayne Rooney did not hold back in his assessment, pointing to the defence as a major concern while stating that Tuchel simply does not rate Alexander-Arnold.

“Trent? The defence was a big worry for me at this World Cup. As a manager, you like some players; Tuchel really does not like Trent. It’s not a go at Reece James; he’s good, but we knew you can’t rely on him physically,” Rooney said (h/t The Overlap).

Gary Neville was equally perplexed by the decision to leave the full-back out of the squad entirely. “In a 26-man squad, how can we not have a place for Trent?” the former Manchester United defender questioned.

Roy Keane, never one to mince his words, summed up the situation. “It’s a head scratcher,” he said.

Neville then took aim at the makeshift solutions England have been forced into at right-back. “When Quansah is playing right-back, it’s just not right,” he added.

A frustrating spell for Alexander-Arnold

Trent will face competition from Dumfries next season. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The criticism of his omission comes at an already challenging time for Alexander-Arnold.

The full-back joined Real Madrid last summer but endured a difficult debut campaign at the Bernabeu, struggling with both fitness and consistency in a season that failed to deliver any major silverware for the club.

His situation at club level has also come under scrutiny, with Real Madrid moving to sign Denzel Dumfries this summer.

While the Dutchman was brought in theoretically as competition, he is widely viewed as capable of pushing Alexander-Arnold hard for a starting berth under new manager Jose Mourinho.