‘We’re building the best team’: Thomas Tuchel explains England camp selection after surprise omissions | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel says he would lose “credibility” as a coach if he did not drop big names, especially after telling his players that the last camp was the best he’d had.

The England manager caused surprise by only making one squad change from the last international break, with Bukayo Saka in for the injured Noni Madueke, and leaving out a number of stars and on-form players: Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Adam Wharton.

There was most surprise that Bellingham was not immediately recalled, given that he is back in the Real Madrid team after injury.

Although much of Tuchel’s explanation has been taken as an indirect coded warning to the midfielder and others about behaviour standards in the squad, the German denied this, and insisted it was mostly being fair with those that had given him his best display so far. England hammered Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade in September, to virtually make certain of World Cup qualification. Should England confirm that, Tuchel did say that the announcement of later kick-off times in North America will aid his team.

On his selections, Tuchel said those left out can give what he wants but he “didn’t want to leave anyone out who was in the last camp”.

“What would be my explanation to leave them out and also be authentic in my words? After the Serbia match I went into the dressing room and I told them what I told you. [Imagine] then I have a phone call and leave four players out and say ‘Now I take A, B, C and D and not you’ – what would you think as a player? ‘Didn’t you tell me that was exactly how you wanted it, and now I’m out?’ Would you not think that? I think, as a player, you would.

“For credibility, as a coach, you need to walk the talk. If this really meant something, [the thing] that I told them and you, this is a very straightforward and logical decision.

“We still have a lot of games to play, many months to come before the World Cup. The door is always open.

“I just know what I felt and what I saw and witnessed at the match. It was my best camp, the best performance of the team, the best result. It was a big result – very good – and we try and build on that.”

When it was put to Tuchel that it is unusual for an England manager to entirely leave out the stars, his notional best players, he simply responded, “we’re building the best team”.

open image in gallery

Thomas Tuchel has left Jude Bellingham out of his England squad (AFP via Getty Images)

“I have proof that last camp was our best camp. I stick with the squad. It’s three weeks ago that we had the best camp, the best performance so far under my responsibility. Why would I not stick with the same team?

“Don’t you think that behaviour on the bench, support from the bench, support from training, the competition, the togetherness enables the 11 to play like they played. I strongly believe that. I felt it in Belgrade, behind me on the bench.

“And it’s not against Phil, it’s not against Jack, it’s not against Jude. Even if you can turn it around and say it is, it is not. It is for the guys who were in camp and who performed at this kind of level. Why would I change this?

“The attitude around it – before and after and during the game – was exactly what we want it to be. So why would I risk changing that?”

Asked whether he’s making it difficult for himself, Tuchel said “absolutely not”.

The call-up also implied that Saka might not have got back in had Madueke not been injured. Tuchel admitted “there’s a chance” of that, “but you will never know”.

open image in gallery

The fine performance and team spirit in Serbia was top of Tuchel’s mind as he picked his next squad (PA Wire)

The German said he felt he had to call players like Adam Wharton, Trevoh Chalobah, Curtis Jones, Foden, Grealish and Bellingham, but wouldn’t go into further details. “Normally, the procedure is that I inform the guys personally who were in the last camp and are left out. So I call them, I explain to them why, so they hear it from me. If you are in camp, you maybe have the expectation, if you did nothing wrong and everything went OK, that you are selected in the next camp. This is normally the procedure.

“This was a bit different procedure this time, because there were only two players left out who were in any way injured, so there was no one [else] left out from this camp. And still, I felt that it was necessary to speak to the guys that I just mentioned, and explain to them the decisions personally, so they understand.”

England could meanwhile play after midnight UK time at next year’s World Cup due to changed kick-off times, to spare players the punishing midday heat that was experienced at the Club World Cup.

”I know the fans will not like it, but for us it's better if we play later, of course. For everyone, it's better to play later. It’s bad for the children, bad for the young people who go to school, very bad. There will be a lot of dropouts the next day at school, I guess!”

Asked whether the timing of games could genuinely be the difference in winning or losing matches, Tuchel said, “straight away everyone will make the point the others also play in the heat... it would be a disadvantage for us, for sure. Would we adapt to it if we have to? Yes. Would we use it as an excuse? No. Would we still prefer to play in the evening, when shade is on the pitch, yes, for sure. It's just proven, you see more intensive runs, you see more high-intensity runs, you see more recovery runs, you see a more intense game. [Earlier], it becomes slower, and less quality.”