Scholes insists Tuchel is playing England star out of position – ‘Just isn’t right’ | OneFootball

Paul Scholes insists the England midfield “just isn’t right” and reckons Thomas Tuchel should make a change for the Three Lions’ last group game against Panama on Saturday.

After impressing in a 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening game, England were frustrated by Ghana in a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.

Tuchel’s side still top the group but the result means the German coach won’t fully rotate his team for Panama and is instead considering “moderate” changes to his XI as he picked out three players for praise in his press conference on Wednesday.

He said: “I was not even sure if to do the full rotation [if England had beaten Ghana]. Maybe we would have. But I am not shy to do some rotation now.

“Some players should be on the pitch but maybe it will be more moderate. It’s not always fair if you just rotate your players in and say, ‘Okay, let’s perform.’ Let’s see.

“I like, for example, the centre backs today. They were good together. I like Elliot Anderson, he had a step forward and a good performance, maybe a bit better than against Croatia.”

But Scholes has accused the England boss of picking the wrong team in their opening two group games of the tournament, insisting that Bellingham “is not a No.10” and should be moved deeper for the clash with Panama.

“The midfield just isn’t right,” Scholes told The Good, The Bad and The Football.

“In a game like that when you are going to have a lot of the ball, you do not need Rice and Anderson together. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did change it [against Panama on Saturday].

“Bellingham is not a No.10. He is a No.8 who can run. A No.10 gets your team playing really good football. That’s not Bellingham.

“They do bits of magic around the box and that’s not Bellingham. He’s got to be arriving in the box late. and he’s good enough on the ball to be able to do that.”

Scholes added: “I think he’ll wake up this morning thinking ‘I picked the wrong team last night.

“He picked the wrong team.”

No Foden or Palmer

The problem with Scholes’ plan is that a) either Declan Rice or Elliot Anderson would have to be dropped to accommodate Bellingham as the No.8, and b) Tuchel has left perhaps England’s two most skilled played in those tight areas at home.

And Wayne Rooney believes the Tuchel should have found a space for one or both of Phil Foden or Cole Palmer in his squad.

Rooney said: “These games are more difficult than games against better team that are better going forward. There’s more space.

“I don’t want to go back to it, but these games are when you need a Phil Foden or a Cole Palmer. Clever players in tight areas.

“With Declan Rice, through all Declan’s qualities, getting in little tight areas and linking play, that’s where you probably need a Foden or a Palmer.”