Thomas Tuchelclaims he would lose “credibility” as a coach if he didn’t remove high-profile individuals, particularly following his statement to his players that the previous camp was the best one he had experienced.

The England manager caused surprise by only altering one team memberSince the last international break, Bukayo Saka replaced the injured Noni Madueke, while several top players and those in good form were left out: Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and Adam Wharton.

There was great surprise thatBellingham was not promptly brought back, considering that he has returned to the Real Madrid squad following an injury.

Although much of Tuchel’s explanation was seen as an indirect coded message to the midfielder and others regarding conduct within the team, the German denied this, and stated that he was mostly being fair to those who had provided his best performance so far. England defeatedSerbiaA 5-0 victory in Belgrade in September secured almost certain World Cup qualification. If England confirms that, Tuchel mentioned that the later kick-off times in North America will benefit his team.

Regarding his choices, Tuchel mentioned that those not selected can still provide what he needs, but he “didn’t want to exclude anyone who was in the previous training session.”

What would be my justification for excluding them while still being genuine in my statements? After the Serbia game, I entered the dressing room and shared with them what I have told you. Imagine then receiving a phone call and deciding to leave out four players, saying ‘Now I choose A, B, C, and D instead of you’ – how would you react as a player? ‘Didn’t you say that was exactly your intention, and now I’m left out?’ Wouldn’t you feel that way? I believe a player would.

To maintain credibility as a coach, you must practice what you preach. If this truly held significance, [the thing] I have shared with them and you, this would be a simple and logical choice.

We still have numerous games ahead, many months remaining until the World Cup. The door remains open at all times.

I am certain of what I felt and observed during the game. It was my finest camp, the team’s best performance, and the most successful outcome. It was a significant achievement—extremely positive—and we aim to build upon it.

When asked if it was unusual for an England manager to completely exclude the stars, his top players, Tuchel simply replied, “we’re building the best team.”

I have evidence that the previous camp was our most successful one. I remain committed to the team. It was three weeks ago when we had our best camp and the finest performance under my leadership. What reason would I have to not stay with the same group?

Don’t you think that the behavior on the bench, the support from the bench, the support from training, the competition, and the unity help the 11 players perform as they did? I am strongly convinced of this. I experienced it in Belgrade, with the support behind me on the bench.

It’s not directed at Phil, nor at Jack, nor at Jude. Even if you try to argue that it is, it isn’t. It’s for the individuals who were present in the camp and who performed at this level. Why would I alter this?

The mindset surrounding it – before, during, and after the game – was precisely what we aim for. So why would I take the risk of altering that?

When asked if he’s complicating things for himself, Tuchel responded, “absolutely not.”

The draft also suggested that Saka might not have returned if Madueke hadn’t been injured. Tuchel acknowledged, “there’s a possibility” of that, “but you’ll never be certain.”

The German mentioned he felt compelled to contact players such as Adam Wharton, Trevoh Chalobah, Curtis Jones, Foden, Grealish, and Bellingham, but refused to provide more information. “Typically, the process is that I notify the players directly who were in the previous camp and didn’t make the cut. I call them and explain the reasons, so they hear it from me. If you were in camp, you might expect, if you did nothing wrong and everything went smoothly, to be included in the next camp. This is usually the standard procedure.”

This was a somewhat different process this time, as there were only two players who were injured to any significant extent, meaning no one else was excluded from the camp. Yet, I still believed it was important to speak with the individuals I just mentioned and explain the decisions in person, so they could understand.

England might also kick off after midnight in UK time during next year’s World Cup because of adjusted start times, to avoid the intense midday heat that occurred at the Club World Cup.

I’m aware the fans won’t be happy with it, but for us, it’s better to play later, naturally. It’s better for everyone to play later. It’s not good for the children, not good for young people who attend school, it’s really bad. There will likely be many students skipping school the following day!

When asked if the timing of games could truly affect the outcome of matches, Tuchel responded, “right away, everyone will bring up the fact that others also play in the heat… it would definitely be a disadvantage for us. Would we adjust if we had to? Yes. Would we use it as an excuse? No. Would we still rather play in the evening, when there’s shade on the field? Yes, for sure. It’s been shown that you see more intense runs, more high-intensity efforts, more recovery runs, and a more intense game. [Earlier], the game tends to slow down, and the quality decreases.”

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