Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , Three Lions Hero Chris Waddle has given his assessment of the Thomas Tuchel and Bellingham debate, who the contenders for the 2026 World Cup will be and his advice to England if they end up situated in Mexico.
Waddle also discusses the legacy of England #1 Jordan Pickford and how he compares with English Legend Peter Shilton.
Elsewhere he gives his perspective on whether Danny Rohl can bring success to Rangers, whether Brendan Rodgers days are numbered at Parkhead and if Ange Postecoglou could make a sensational return to Scottish Football.
Tuchel vs Bellingham
The Debate: Tuchel vs Bellingham
I like Thomas Tuchel. I've always thought we've been crying out for a manager who doesn't pick based on media pressure. For me, it's simple football: pick your best players for each position within your system. However, he's got to fit into your system. You might think a left-back who plays for, say, Crystal Palace... a lot of people might have thought, ‘I wouldn't have picked him. I would have put a right-footed player from a bigger team there. I'd play him at left-back even though he's right-footed.’ So I don't get it.
I think Thomas Tuchel is looking and thinking, ‘This is what I want.’ You can't play five-number tens. It's as simple as that. You can't play Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and whoever the other one is. Maddison, if he was fit, too. You can't play five number 10s. You've got to play people who play in that position week in, week out. Phil Foden plays in midfield. When he played in the last Euros, he played left wing. And you think, ‘Well, why are you playing him on the left wing?’ Anthony Gordon plays left wing. Play Anthony Gordon.
We've had this before over the years. Remember, we used to play Paul Scholes on the left side of midfield because we had Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and so on. All of a sudden, they say, ‘How do we fit them in the team?’ No, you've got to be brave. And I think Thomas Tuchel is. I think he's thinking, ‘My team is going to be the back four, two midfield players, Declan Rice and, if it was me, Wharton.’ But you can't play Bellingham, Palmer, and Eze all together.
As for the left side, it'll be Rashford or Gordon at the minute. See, at left-back, we played a right-footed left-back (Djed Spence)... we're talking about England here. Why doesn’t he play Tyrick Mitchell from Palace? When fit, he played for England twice, I think in 2021, 2022, somewhere. You know, he's played well, he's played wing-back, he can play left-back, and he's a natural left-footed footballer.
You think, ‘Why are we going to play Spence at left-back, or why are we going to play Tino Livramento at left-back?’ I don't get that. So they are things to look at, but Thomas seems to play players in the positions they play at their clubs. Unfortunately, if somebody is better in his mind or he thinks he does better for the team, it doesn't matter how big of a name you are; you'll have to sit on the bench, and if you get your chance, grab it. And I think that's what we want.
2026 World Cup Prediction
2026 World Cup Prediction
I do honestly believe, going to the World Cup, Argentina without Messi are not the same. You've got Paraguay, Colombia, who score goals. Uruguay, okay. Brazil, nowhere near. When you mention Brazil, you always think ‘Wow,’ but, sorry, no chance. So you look at the world of football at the minute. Yes, France are always there. They always turn up. Portugal, too, because of the quality of players they've got. And I've got to say, Spain are probably the best team in Europe.
But then I put England in that category now. We're beating everybody. Latvia by five. We hammered Serbia. Not many teams hammer Serbia on their own patch. Serbia has always been well respected. They're not the best team in the world. I'm not saying they're a great side, but England are beating everybody in front of them quite comfortably. Wales 3-0 as well.
Why can't we go to the World Cup and say, ‘You know what, there are three or four good teams. There's no standout team in the world at the minute. If Messi decides to play, he'll add a bit, but not as much as people think because he's getting on. So he's still a great player, I'm not saying he's not, but he's not four years ago.
Norway are a very dangerous team because they know that they can score goals. And if you can score goals, you've got a chance of winning games. But I don't think they've got the experience or the know-how to win a tournament like that. So I'm thinking, ‘Why can't England go and believe they can win this? In 1990, we actually believed we could win it. It's a different school of thought for the tournament from ‘We'll do alright, we've got a chance.’ No, actually going in saying, You know what? We can win this.’
Advice For England
Well, it depends on where you get drawn. In Mexico, the altitude of some grounds is high, and the ball travels much further. We experienced this in 1985 during a tournament there. The grass is longer, and the ball travels for miles; the modern ball would travel even further.
Mexico is unique. While America and Canada will be hot, their setup and pitches are more similar to Britain's. Mexico’s conditions could surprise a few teams, but now they do their homework. People will organise everything, from hotels to training grounds, and England always secures the best possible arrangements.
Back then, it was somewhat unknown to us, but now teams will research and focus on recovery, which will be crucial. The difficulties, especially in Mexico, can be awkward and hard to plan for if you're not used to them. This aspect could catch teams out, but mentally and confidence-wise, England should have nothing to fear.
Jordan Pickford
Is Pickford Up Their With Shilton?
Of course he is. He's kept his shirt for a long time now. People ask why he hasn't moved to a big club, but he's playing for a big club. I know they haven't won trophies, haven't been in the top four or Champions League, but he's playing Premier League football every week, which is enough practice. You don't have to play for a great team to be a great goalkeeper. You don't have to be winning the league every year to prove yourself.
Being in the best team in the Premier League doesn't mean you’re the best goalkeeper. He's settled at Everton, playing Premier League and international football. I don't agree with those who say they wouldn't pick him because he doesn't play in Europe. He's played for England every week, and when he's been called upon, he's done well.
So, for me, there's no problem with the goalkeeper. People always find a reason to say, ‘if only.’ They suggest he'd play more games in Europe if he moved. But he's played for England many times, in World Cups and Euros. Why does he need to play in the Europa League, for example? He's playing every week in the Premier League, which is harder than the Europa League. I don't see the sense in saying he needs to move to a bigger club. He doesn't. He's a goalkeeper, playing for England, and doing well.
Scottish Premiership
Danny Rohl
This is a big test for Danny Rohl. Sheffield Wednesday was a 'what have you got to lose?' situation. Wednesday came up and held their own. Their home form was disastrous last year; they would have been in the play-offs with a decent home form. Their away form was fantastic. I think they had the worst home record in the Championship last year, so he'll have to change that.
He's obviously going into a club that is low on confidence, with a lot of question marks around them at the minute. He's got to get his staff because a lot of his staff are still at Wednesday. Hendrik Pedersen, his assistant, for example, is managing at Wednesday, so he's not going to leave. I'm sure he'll work around that and get some new staff in.
But it's a big job at Rangers. They've had to settle the team for three or four years, and now it's starting to break up. The last guys got in there and tried to play a certain style, but it hasn't worked, let's be honest. Russell Martin would say it didn't work. The Scottish league is a little different to the Premier League and even the Championship. It's more physical and more direct, I think, in Scotland.
But listen, people speak highly of Danny, and he deserves his chance to go to a club like Glasgow Rangers. It's not often you get offered a job like that. There's no way you can say, ‘I'm building for the future in two years' time.’ No, it's got to be now. The fans will not sit around and think, ‘We're not finishing above Celtic again - and Hearts - or whatever.’ They're not having that. So when you go to Rangers, it's got to be turned around very, very quickly.
He did well at Wednesday. So, this is a big test for him, a good test for him. If he comes through this, it'll obviously lead to other things, I'm sure. But it's not easy at the minute to get the balance right at Rangers. You have to get a few out the door, get a few in. But at a club like Rangers, you haven't got time. You've got to win yesterday. The pressure will be on straight away.
He's up for it. He's confident, you can see that. He can take on a challenge; there's no doubt about that. He'll work hard, and I wish him well, but it's going to be hard.
Celtic
Rodgers To Leave Celtic?
Brendan Rodgers has consistently performed well as a manager, achieving success at clubs like Celtic twice, Leicester, and Liverpool. He likely feels lt down by a lack of investment, especially considering the potential for a strong Champions League run. They performed last year, and with a few more additions, a deeper push into the Champions League seemed possible. However, the club hasn't backed him.
This has likely left Brendan and the fans disillusioned with the club's management. Regarding a new contract, the delay until nearly Christmas suggests a lack of communication. If the club intended to secure his future, discussions would have started much earlier.
It's possible Brendan doesn't want a new contract, or the club is considering a different direction. This situation could lead to his departure, potentially opening the door for fans to want Ange’s return. The question then becomes whether Ange Postecoglou would view a return as a step forward or backwards in his career.
Postecoglou Parkhead Return?
I think Celtic fans would be disappointed if Brendan Rodgers left. I have a lot of respect for Brendan Rodgers; I think he's done a great job with Celtic. Ange Postecoglou was a popular choice and did well because he brought in players from the Asian market that people hadn't even heard of, and they were a revelation. That changed Celtic around again.
So, I don't know if Ange would think, ‘I don't want to go back there. I want to manage in the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, or the Bundesliga.’ He might be thinking, ‘I want to be in a top league.
I can probably see Brendan being a little bit disillusioned that they never signed players to compete in the Champions League. I watched a bit of the game against Dundee on the weekend, and yeah, they had all the ball and whatever, but Dundee kept picking them off on the counter-attack, and they just looked short.
Brendan probably knew that from the start of the season, but they never addressed it.
Could Ange Postecoglou Return To Celtic One Day?
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