ORLANDO, FLORIDA — The list of the vanquished under Thomas Tuchel is reason for creeping concern about the state of the nation heading into the most complex, convoluted and hard to call World Cup of all: Albania, Latvia, Andorra, Serbia, Wales, New Zealand.
Decent sides? England have either dodged them or been defeated by them. So it is time to move through the gears – even if this is another gentle assignment on the east Coast of America.
Tuchel needs to cast aside experiments and take the wraps off his tournament picks. Which is why – looking through each department – his Arsenal champions need to start against Costa Rica and Harry Kane has to be given licence to fire alongside the rest of England’s heavy artillery.
Time for Tino to get a trial
Whisper it quietly but there is no longer so much flailing about among the back four. The doubts that swirled around England’s defence have been unfussily eliminated during Tuchel’s 18 months in charge and this is a position that picks itself.
Jordan Pickford is untouchable – James Trafford now established as his heir successor, a role that will be burnished if he picks Newcastle from the clubs coveting him this summer – and the same could probably be said for those jostling in the heart of defence too.
John Stones needs minutes so has to play here while Marc Guehi is the best of his generation and now a crack tournament operator. No concerns there.
Nico O’Reilly has made the left-back slot his own after stellar performances for Manchester City and the only contentious call I’d make is to give Newcastle’s Tino Livramento time at right-back.
It is not that Reece James isn’t a Rolls Royce of a right-back – he surely is – but the doubts around whether he can play so many games in such a short space of time mean alternatives must be tried out.
You could also see the logic of picking Livramento’s clubmate Dan Burn in the Tampa heat. The slower pace suits him, especially as a late substitute, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with having him involved to hit from set pieces.
Bellingham has to be nailed on
We’re surely not going to do this with Jude Bellingham, are we?
Tuchel was asked whether he faced a fight for his starting role after the New Zealand stroll and he did what you would expect – kept Bellingham on his toes. But the Real Madrid man ticks every World Cup box: experience, ability, big game moments. Morgan Rogers is a fine player but doesn’t bring that sort of heft to his CV.
Elliot Anderson’s energy will be all the more useful alongside Declan Rice, who hops off the plane and into the starting XI.
Rashford edges ahead of Gordon
It’s a shame Rio Ngumoha didn’t make it in as the bolter to this World Cup squad. His elastic feet and energy – he seemed to be peaking at just the right time in the domestic season – would have given Tuchel headaches.
As it is, the biggest call is who starts on the left and if performances in the first warm up game count for anything it will be Marcus Rashford who sees off the challenge of fellow Barcelona forward Anthony Gordon.
Rashford – who put himself through his own pre-tournament camp in the US after the season concluded – looked really sharp, albeit against the lowest ranked side heading to the World Cup. But his zip, zest and energy raised hopes that he could match the sort of performances that he delivered in Qatar in 2022.
Form should count for everything with only a week to go until England’s opener against Croatia. The Three Lions feel undercooked, time for them to start sizzling in the Orlando heat.
My England XI to face Costa Rica (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
- Jordan Pickford
Defence
- Tino Livramento
- John Stones
- Marc Guehi
- Nico O’Reilly
Midfield
- Elliot Anderson
- Declan Rice
- Jude Bellingham
Attack
- Bukayo Saka
- Harry Kane
- Marcus Rashford
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