Alan Pardew believes Tuchel made a mistake over Arsenal star

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·13 Juli 2026

Alan Pardew believes Tuchel made a mistake over Arsenal star

Alan Pardew believes players should not be selected when they are not fully fit, regardless of their importance to the team, as he reflected on Declan Rice’s recent involvement with England at the World Cup.

Rice has been carrying an injury since the end of last season and has continued to feature for England throughout the tournament despite concerns over his fitness. Even with those issues, the midfielder has remained a regular starter under Thomas Tuchel because of his importance to the Three Lions.

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Pardew questions Tuchel’s decision

Before England’s quarter-final against Norway, there were also reports that Rice may have been affected by illness, with a sickness bug circulating within the squad. Despite those concerns, Tuchel selected the midfielder in the starting line-up for the crucial fixture.

Rice was unable to produce his usual level of performance and was substituted during the match as England eventually secured victory in extra time. Jude Bellingham delivered an impressive display to help the Three Lions progress, but Rice’s performance attracted criticism after another difficult outing.

Former manager explains his view

Discussing the decision to start Rice, Pardew said, as reported by Talk Sport:

“So of course when I got older, and I realised that if a player wasn’t right I wouldn’t play him. They just can’t produce, they haven’t got the emotional thought process to be happy and be good.

“They’re kind of down and that and their game goes down. Dec looked like he looked down yesterday, didn’t he? You only had to look at him.

“So, he wasn’t buzzing and being the Declan Rice that we know. So that was a mistake that Thomas made there.”

Pardew’s comments reflect his belief that selecting players who are not fully fit can have a negative impact on both the individual and the team. While Rice remains one of England’s most influential midfielders, his recent fitness concerns have raised questions about whether he should continue to start such demanding matches until he has fully recovered.

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