2026 World Cup

[AKCJ]

Just clocked we're not taking Adam Wharton.

[jammie82uk]

England boss Thomas Tuchel: 

"You can see in the selction we chose nine defenders for four positions, seven midfielders for three positions. 

"The idea is to stick with this formation. 

"Adaptation comes naturally in the defensive approach. There are so many formations on the other side. It should be flexible to adapt our defensive approach. 

"Will we change our structure? We will try to stick with what makes us strong and we have a clear idea we have the key players in the position to make a difference. 

[Tielemans63]

1 hour ago, AKCJ said:

4 assists from 3,000 minutes as a number 10. Nowhere near creative enough IMO.

14 goals though, and 6 in 6. Not bad. Depends on what numbers you look at I guess.

[Foxdiamond]

1 hour ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Djed Spence being included is absolutely unreal by itself, let alone the fact it’s ahead of Trent.

As least we won't have to listen to all the players being addressed by their surname apart from Alexander Arnold

[Foxdiamond]

10 hours ago, Dan said:

I'll wait and see with Tuchel. It's not what I'd have gone for but I backed the appointment thinking you have somebody here who has at least got a track record of success. Albeit he's got a stinker in him as well.

 

Can't help but think we're playing a dangerous game with left backs again. Was a complete farce in the Euros having Trippier on the left creating a bottleneck in build up and you could see similar happening.

 

It's mental how Palmer's not got in. I'm not even saying I disagree with it but imagine if after the Euros somebody told you a fully fit Palmer wouldn't go.

Even in the 2021 FA Cup final I think Tuchel had a stinker with his team selection and we benefitted thank goodness 

[ClaphamFox]

59 minutes ago, Danizen said:

I think we should have taken one more DM. We seem paper thin there, considering there's potentially 8 games and a lot of them will be in sweltering heat.

 

Henderson, Toney and Spence are dreadful picks.

Toney is the second best centre forward we have. I can't fathom Henderson or Spence.

[slymunn]

1 hour ago, Super_horns said:

No Liverpool players in the squad- must be a first ?

First time since 1986

[Dan]

Maguire gets treated like he's Maldini when it comes to England. I'd have taken him but people go a bit far.

[FoxesWalk]

Decent squad that, imo. Only major surprise for me is Toney in there (but I like the pick, I prefer him to our other striker bar Kane). Maguire immediately vindicates Tuchel decision by him and his family crying to the media 😭🤣

 

Harsh on MGW maybe, but that’s about it. Agree with his general points about group chemistry and importance of having the right senior leadership figures there, I get Hendo from that perspective. 

Edited 22 May by FoxesWalk

[David Hankey]

Tuchel is always on a hiding to nothing. Win the trophy and he will be hailed as the best manager England ever had.

 

Anything short and he will be vilified for not taking the so-called big name players and his selection in individual matches.

 

It will be interesting to see how those players, who are selected, perform.

[Samilktray]

30 minutes ago, Dan said:

Maguire gets treated like he's Maldini when it comes to England. I'd have taken him but people go a bit far.

Yeah I get that, I think a fully fit and on form John Stones is a far better player so I'm happy hes in there. Dan Burn is the odd 1 for me

[The Year Of The Fox]

3 hours ago, st albans fox said:

All about opinions 

suspect yours is in the minority 

 

saka may have some fitness issues which are compromising his performances.  If he’s match sharp then he’s one of the first names on the team sheet imo 

He’s a rich mans Fatawu 

[slymunn]

11 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

Yeah I get that, I think a fully fit and on form John Stones is a far better player so I'm happy hes in there. Dan Burn is the odd 1 for me

I think Dan Burn is in as he covers CB and LB, same as Quansah with CB and RB. 

 

Stones and Henderson are part of Tunchels 'leadership group' which is why they will be picked if available.

[Jaspa]

Would think that's Harvey Barnes' last chance of an English World Cup then. Suprised he hasn't pulled out a haggis at the last moment just to go.

[Guesty]

It's nice to see a manager pick what he thinks is the best squad for the way he wants to play in a tournament. Instead of just picking the best technical players who are flavour of the month. 

 

Can't remember where I heard it or read it but it was an international manager talking about tournament squads. He said you want the 18 or so players who are your team and you plan to play. Then the rest of the squad has to be people who will help those 18 players, and are (in a way) just happy to be there. You don't want players you know who will be kicking off or the media will focus on if they're not picked. It's really just about those 18 players. So it makes sense why players like Palmer, TAA and Foden aren't going if Tuchel has no real plans to play them.

[CWC1983]

42 minutes ago, Jaspa said:

Would think that's Harvey Barnes' last chance of an English World Cup then. Suprised he hasn't pulled out a haggis at the last moment just to go.

He had the opportunity at the last Euro's and this WC. 

To be fair he told Clarke he'd rather try for England and that he didn't feel Scotish. 

Got to respect him for that. 

[Mike Oxlong]

Maguire’s mum 

 

 

[Jaspa]

21 minutes ago, CWC1983 said:

He had the opportunity at the last Euro's and this WC. 

To be fair he told Clarke he'd rather try for England and that he didn't feel Scotish. 

Got to respect him for that. 

Understood that, it's just clear now that he'll never make it into an England tournament squad. He might aswell stick the kilt on, down a bottle of Irn Bru and start playing the bagpipes - go play in the World Cup Harvey, once in a lifetime opportunity gone - they actually have a very good midfield, he'd add a great dynamic to them.

 

Their match against Brasil could be iconic, although likely played out in 33c heat and 75% humidity.

[fox_up_north]

Maguire's last 24 hours have been a whirlwind. 

 

I've gone from thinking he had a good case for feeling aggrieved to second hand embarrassment

[STEVIE B]

5 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Just clocked we're not taking Adam Wharton.

I'm not sure how his season has been tbf. Last season he was the mutt's nuts. 

[The Year Of The Fox]

5 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Personally think the following are crazy decisions:

 

Spence over Alexander- Arnold. Obviously Spence won't be starting games and neither would Alexander-Arnold but who do you want to come off the bench when we're losing to swing crosses in?

 

Burn over Hall. We don't need 5 centre halves and we have gone into the tournament without an out and out left back. O'Reilly laying left back for Pep doesn't count. He won't look the same in Tuchel's system.

 

Madueke over Bowen. I think this one is obvious. No chance does Madueke go over Bowen if he played for West Ham and Bowen played for Arsenal.

 

 

There are 5/6 that are on that "I can see why he's done that but I wouldn't have taken him" but other than that, it's a good squad.

 

Huge wake up call needed for Foden and Palmer. 25 and 24 years old and should be in their prime. Two years ago they were the two best players in the league IMO.

Might help if aged 25, Foden had a right foot

[Aleksz]

3 hours ago, Dan said:

Maguire gets treated like he's Maldini when it comes to England. I'd have taken him but people go a bit far.

I think this is a bad take. He's not overrated to that level - it's as simple as he's been a key player in a team that has finished 3rd and has absolutely never, ever let England down. We have picked a played that bottom half Newcastle wouldn't consider first choice in his position. 

 

Not even getting into my opinion he's our best player aerially and we are quite literally taking Arsenal's two set piece takers - that team that are the best in the world at what they do. 

 

Edit: Sorry, I know you say you'd have taken him so maybe this is aimed more at those that are categorically against it - which from what I've seen is quite a few

Edited 22 May by Aleksz

[CWC1983]

24 minutes ago, Jaspa said:

Understood that, it's just clear now that he'll never make it into an England tournament squad. He might aswell stick the kilt on, down a bottle of Irn Bru and start playing the bagpipes - go play in the World Cup Harvey, once in a lifetime opportunity gone - they actually have a very good midfield, he'd add a great dynamic to them.

 

Their match against Brasil could be iconic, although likely played out in 33c heat and 75% humidity.

He is something we don't have, left sided forward player with pace which is why Clarke was so keen to get hom on board. 

 

Him on the left, Gannon Doak on the right would have given us a whole new dimension up front. 

 

I'm sort of hoping the Brazil match is a dead rubber and by that time we've racked up 6 points....😆

[Aleksz]

On the other hand, personally if I was a pro footballer and my family was doing what Maguire's has, I would be fuming. 

 

I would presume he's got no chance of being picked by Tuchel again after this.

[fox_favourite]

Anyone on here actually going to the Orange mans country/Canada/Mexico for this?