Teddy Sheringham knows what it takes to win at the highest level, and after a dramatic end to the Premier League season, the Manchester United treble-winner sat down with BOYLE Sports to give his verdict on Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup . He backed England to go deep into the tournament, but he was not without his criticisms of who made the cut and who was left behind. From Harry Maguire to Trent Alexander-Arnold , Sheringham had clear views on the calls he would have made differently.
On the subject of attacking creativity, Sheringham was equally direct about the players who did not make it. He has long been an advocate of Phil Foden , but acknowledged that this has not been his season. Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White were also discussed, and while Sheringham sees genuine quality in both, he had nuanced views on where each fits at international level. The picture he painted of England's midfield and attack was one of real potential, but also a squad that could have been even stronger with a couple of different decisions.
The midfield question was one Sheringham tackled with real conviction. He does not want to see England set up with two holding players when Declan Rice alone can do the defensive work, and he had a clear vision of how Jude Bellingham , Morgan Rogers , and Kobbie Mainoo should be deployed to get the best out of Harry Kane . He also weighed in on whether Elliot Anderson should be starting ahead of Mainoo and what role Eberechi Eze could play as he continues his development at Arsenal .
Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel's Verdict
Thomas Tuchel has named a World Cup squad for England, and I like it. It is exactly the sort of calls he has been brought in to make. He is laying down the law. He is the man in charge, and he is building a proper team, not just a list of the best players on paper.
We have all got our opinions about who should have been in and who should have stayed at home, but I look at Tuchel's squad, and I think he is giving England a very good chance to win this World Cup . It will at least get us to the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, and then you have got a chance, but we will not know until we reach those stages because we have not played anyone decent yet.
The Omissions
Maguire And Trent
If I was England manager, I definitely would have taken Harry Maguire . He has got the experience, and he is very good in both boxes, especially late on in games if he is needed up front in the last 10 minutes when you are chasing a winning goal. It is a bit of an old-fashioned move to chuck your big centre-half up top and cause a bit of chaos, but it still works if you do it in the right manner to see what you can get out of it, so I would have taken him for that option at the very least.
I would have taken Trent Alexander-Arnold , too. England need something a bit different in certain games, and he definitely gives you something different, without a doubt.
Foden, Palmer, and Gibbs-White
I really like all three players. I have always been an advocate of Phil Foden , especially, but I do not think he has had a good enough season. We saw what he can do with that back heel in one of Manchester City's games to set up Antoine Semenyo to score. Those sorts of moments he can magic up are irresistible, but I do not think he has done enough.
I think he would probably tell you the same thing himself, too. I really like Cole Palmer , too. He comes, and he goes with his little flashes, and that could have been the icing on the cake for England in certain games. I probably would have chucked Cole Palmer into the squad as well, just to say to him, go on and give us that bit of trickery that we need when we need it. He is the kind of player that can open some doors no other players can. He has been a big player in big games for Chelsea , too.
Is Morgan Gibbs-White a big miss for England this summer? I really like him as a Premier League player. He works hard. He is tenacious. He is the sort of player who looks ready to die for the cause, but that is not all of what is needed at international level. It is that little step up in quality at certain times that you want to see, and I think Gibbs-White is more suited to the Premier League than the World Cup , but if I was at a top six club, I would be looking to get him in this summer, without a shadow of a doubt, if Evangelos Marinakis would let you.
The Midfield
Rice, Bellingham, and Rogers
Who would I want to play behind me as England's number 10 if I was Harry Kane ? I would want two players, not one. I would want someone playing as the eight and someone playing at 10 who could both feed me chances. I do not like England playing with two holding players, especially when they have got Declan Rice .
He does the work of two people in midfield, so you can put him in there in the holding role to have someone like Jude Bellingham in as the eight and Morgan Rogers at 10. In my view, Morgan Rogers is the only number 10 in the England squad for what I am looking for from a player in that position.
Maybe that is why you would take Cole Palmer just to change it up when needed, because they are very different players. Jude Bellingham can play there too, but if England had Rogers and Cole Palmer , that would have been a nice option to have.
Mainoo's Role
Can Kobbie Mainoo be the breakout star of this World Cup ? I think if Kobbie Mainoo or Elliot Anderson play, that allows Rice to go forward without a doubt, but it is Anderson who should be starting if you are doing that.
I do not think Rice scores enough goals for that role, so I prefer him sitting deeper. Anderson does not really score too many goals either, but if England end up needing to play with two in midfield, let us say we are up against Brazil or someone, then that is a job for Anderson and Rice .
Eze On The Rise
Could Eberechi Eze start for England ? I still do not think we have seen the best of him yet, at any level. He is a Rolls-Royce of a footballer, and his potential is so much higher than what we have seen so far for Arsenal or England .
There have been flashes of what he is truly capable of, but there is more to come. I would want to see him force Mikel Arteta to make him the first choice before he is the tried and tested player for England .
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