Our reaction to England’s World Cup squad

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3:36Vishal Sinha: Hello everybody, welcome to Ramble HQ. We're here to talk about the England squad that Thomas Tuchel has picked for the World Cup this summer. There's a few controversial picks and a few controversial omissions. We're going to talk about it all right now. My friends are here, Vish and Jim. Hello, boys. Hello. Hello. It's Friday and we've got an England squad to talk about. I am like a dog that is particularly happy. Twice.

4:09Vishal Sinha: This is a controversial one. I know that whenever an England squad is announced for any major tournament, it will always provide some controversy because you can't pick everybody and people have strong opinions about certain players and so on and so forth. I think, though, compared to the last handful of scores, I think this one has made a lot of England fans and beyond really sort of scratch their heads with some of these picks. More the omissions, I suppose. We're going to get into all this, though, after I get your initial thoughts, Jim, on the squad. Yeah, my initial thoughts are there are some players that I'm obviously disappointed not to see.

4:46Vishal Sinha: and the main one for me is Morgan Gibbs right there just because he's such a fun player and it's my summer too and I want to have a good time yes yeah no that's that's a good argument Vish what were your initial thoughts on the squad

5:01Marcus Speller: my initial thoughts were rage and then I rage yeah like just a bit of anger when the names are being leaked out on Thursday not because I'm a fan of proper process and you wake up

5:13Vishal Sinha: angry anyway

5:14Marcus Speller: yeah all the time yeah Yeah. Gotta get that roof fixed. But the Gibbs, I think the way you put it in is spot on. I was annoyed because I like him and I want to see him play football. And then I looked at the squad and actually I couldn't necessarily find a way in. So, I mean, I do think it is, to my mind anyway, the most glaring omission. But by and large, you look at, you know, first instincts of the squad is, yeah, it's pretty good.

5:45Vishal Sinha: Yeah. It is a good squad, there's no doubt about that. It's the first 11, isn't it? The first 11 is going to be absolutely fine. Yes, we will need reinforcements. Reinforcements because of that heat in North America as I keep banging on about. Well, nobody listen to me. It's hot over there, Jim. I'm the only one who seems to have observed this. I know, mate. The one omission, you both mentioned Morgan Gibbs-White there, I think that a lot of people would agree with you. The one that upset me the most is Harry Maguire. Yeah. I was really sad for Maguire. Now, it's not about mine or indeed a particular player's emotions when coming to pick a squad, despite what I've said to the FA.

6:22Vishal Sinha: But you look at the centre-halves that Thomas Tuchel has selected. You've got Dan Byrne, Mark Gay, Esri Konza and John Stones. Now, people, again, I appreciate the comments are live and there's a lot of people with a lot of views on this. DRF immediately says Maguire for Byrne. I think that's probably what I would have done. I don't think anybody is arguing Gay and Konza because that would be ludicrous. I think John Stones, there's concern about the lack of minutes he's played this season, which I get, but I still think Stones is... I think that experience is key. Yeah. And that experience would be a great reason to not pick Jordan Henderson, for example, because that experience is already there.

7:02Vishal Sinha: We'll get to Hendo in a minute. But yeah, so Stones, I think, still goes. And I think that, I think it's unlikely that the fourth choice centre-back is going to play at all. and there is room for a Conicode role as we now call it for England and I honestly think with Dan Byrne I think he's more than that I should say for the record I think with Dan Byrne I honestly think he likes him he obviously thinks he's worthy of being in the squad for playing I think you take someone I like playing table tennis against this guy but I think he

7:32Marcus Speller: not Dan Byrne his reach would be too much

7:34Vishal Sinha: he'd have to beat him drop shots

7:36Marcus Speller: yeah but he'd reach forward

7:38Vishal Sinha: yeah but it'd take him longer to get down he could reach on your side he's that big and there's the penalty right you see are you ah ok

7:46Marcus Speller: there you are

7:47Vishal Sinha: so it all makes sense

7:47Marcus Speller: maybe he's too clumsy to get minutes in a World Cup with those referees yeah

7:52Vishal Sinha: I won't be playing badminton against a guy no you know snooker maybe on the big table but look Dan Burns in sorry Marcus how are you going to improve at badminton if you won't test yourself how many times do I have to talk to you about it I'm very happy with my level right ok as everyone should be at badminton by the way it's one of those sports but Dan Burns in despite what I I'm going on about. And Bern, we know he can play centre-half and left-back. We'll get to the left-back situation in a moment. He would be the one, and the reason why I think with Maguire, I'm quite sad for him, is apparently Maguire, according to one or two journalists who know they're onions, Maguire was like happy, if you like, or content with playing a bit part or a sub role not starting.

8:37Vishal Sinha: Because I think people immediately think, oh well, he doesn't want him around the camp moaning away thinking I should be starting. Maguire was also great for unifying the group. He was one of Southgate's leaders, if you like.

8:49Marcus Speller: He knows the value of that role, having been part of squads that have lent on that role. Totally, yeah.

8:54Vishal Sinha: Maybe that comes into Tuchel's thinking. Maybe it doesn't. Like I say, maybe he's seen Dan Byrne around the place and he thinks, do you know what? This guy, I like him here. I think he can play. And Dan Byrne has played more for Thomas Tuchel for England than Maguire has. That's his decision.

9:11Marcus Speller: I think the thing specifically with Maguire is it was only two months ago that Tuchel said he was you know, fifth choice at best which, you know, sounds like a diss when it's written down and you read it in the papers but actually he was just being matter of fact there, Tuchel like, yeah, he's probably fifth choice, fifth or sixth the other thing about Dan Byrne which absolutely makes a difference particularly the way that Tuchel wants to play he's left-footed

9:35Vishal Sinha: well, that is, yeah, he does have a left foot

9:38Marcus Speller: he opens up different areas to like into midfield and that stuff really does matter, particularly if you're, you know... And it's a fair point to make,

9:45Vishal Sinha: but I think Maguire's still much better on the ball than Dan Byrne.

9:47Marcus Speller: Yeah, I don't disagree with that at all.

9:49Vishal Sinha: But he's gone for Dan Byrne and he hasn't gone for Maguire. The other centre-half in their gym is Jao Kwanza. Vish mentioned him a minute ago. I'd forgotten about Kwanza, but he has been in previous squads. He has, and he's played a lot for Leberkusen. He's played as part of a back three, which is quite interesting. He's got a bit of experience at full-back as well. so maybe that versatility has gone in his favor there so he kind of he counts as as kind of a bit of both doesn't he and there's a bit of a theme in the squad for that if you look at tino livermento and jed spence who are two players who are predominantly right backs but have also you know played at left back a decent amount so i think that potential versatility is probably in his thinking it's interesting that we're talking about these players um jed spence is one that's where there's been quite a lot of kind of confusion um at his inclusion particularly as he just suffered a broken jaw.

10:40Vishal Sinha: I thought that might have ruled about it. Yes, same. And also, Tino Di Vramento's season has been interrupted by injury a lot and his form hasn't been amazing. But realistically, Rhys James is starting every game. Hopefully. Hopefully, yeah. Actually, there's a little bit of a temperature check. If you look at this squad and say, can I put together a really, really good starting XI from that? You can easily with a lot of different variables

11:08Marcus Speller: in that yeah I think also the variety even at right back is is interesting because you've got Rhys James who is brilliant on the ball and you've got Livermento who is gonna put the work in he's gonna overlap on the outside of whoever's on the right wing he's gonna you know run back a bit taller as well so it does give you that extra option at defending set pieces um and like I think it kind of links back to the Maguire stuff a little bit maybe even Gibbs White but he's not picking players who can do multiple roles really. In terms of like I don't even mean positioning, I mean I suppose like whether it be creative, you don't need certain defenders to be all that creative, much in the same way that you don't need a midfielder like a Gibbs White mold who can do your kind of stuff on the wing and also do your stuff in the middle.

11:59Marcus Speller: If you want stuff in the middle, you've got Morgan Rodgers, Bellingham. If you want stuff that wide you've got Gordon you've got you know Saka people like that Rashford yeah so I mean with the with the full backs in particular even on the left side I feel like you know we can

12:13Vishal Sinha: probably talk about it Nico O 'Reilly he will start but then like you have so that gives

12:19Marcus Speller: Tuchel the extra person in midfield yes and obviously there's probably a Myles Lewis Skelly question to answer at this point and I think it would have been quite a big call to put Lewis

12:31Vishal Sinha: Skelly in there after the season he's had he's not been particularly convincing at left back and there's been a small sample size of him in midfield

12:37Marcus Speller: there's a bit of a recency bias with it as well and obviously being a title winner Champions League finalist but also fundamentally if Lewis Skelly starts the Champions League final and wins it gets a winner's middle at the end I'd say it's still debatable as an individual if he'd had a better season than Nico O 'Reilly it's been a revelation

12:55Vishal Sinha: O 'Reilly's definitely going to start I think a lot of people were surprised that Lewis Hall was omitted that one In fact, of all the comments I've seen, people seem to be surprised at Jenderson, at Jordan Henderson's inclusion. He was really concerned about Jenderson when he was on the radio. I realise what a near-Freudian slip that was. Sorry, everybody. Jordan Henderson, people, I mean, like John Richardson, seriously, Henderson, are you having a laugh? You know, Chris Keane saying that Hendo should be replaced by Morgan Gibbs, right? isn't really replacing apples with apples, although I'd prefer Warton or Garner in his place.

13:32Vishal Sinha: You know, the fact is, getting to that point, people are surprised with Henderson's inclusion, in particular, as they have been under Tuchel, England under Tuchel. But the other one that I felt when the squad was being leaked last night, that Lewis Hall, there was a lot of people very, very surprised. Now, some people might rightly make the point that, you know, he hasn't actually played a huge amount in these handful of games or whatever Newcastle have had of late. But he's a proper left back. But this goes back to the point that you were touching on, Vervish. Weirdly, with this squad of players, if I can sort of spin this into a more positive, because I think there is actually a little bit of outrage and a little bit of anger and people saying, what on earth is he doing and blah, blah, blah, blah.

14:18Vishal Sinha: I actually, I think, and I'm choosing to do this, I'm spinning this round thinking, do you know what this squad says to me? Tuchel knows exactly what he wants to do. and I think that the last international break with the very boring draw against Uruguay and then the loss and the loss against Japan I think it was just it was almost a you know it was almost like a courtesy international break it was kind of like yeah okay I'll meet and greet a few players in case there's injuries yeah come on in lads give you a little run out and all that kind of stuff and look people might say well that was a stupid thing to do whatever you may think I honestly got the impression at the time that was it and I've got the impression more so.

14:58Vishal Sinha: Tuchel, I think, has had a strong idea of what he wants to do with England and he's had that probably for about six months now. We go all the way back to that game that we often reference because it was his finest performance or his England team's finest performance away to Serbia when they won 5-0. And I understand, you know, Serbia, you weren't great, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to eulogise over that performance but I think it was after that Tuchel suddenly was like, right, I've got it. And I think from there he was like, yes, I know what I'm going to do and you saw a little bit of it here and there and I think that with these players that we're talking about I'd be honest with you I don't think Gibbs White was ever going to go I think all this, you know, yes he's been informing a lot of people again saying in the comments oh I think he should be there and I get that I think Tuchel was a bit like yeah that's all very well mate but no no no I was decided you'd have to have done something particularly spectacular and for other injuries in that number 10 role it was always going to be Bellingham or Rogers with Eze as an all you know whether he can be on the left or in the centre it would have taken injury and something absolutely astronomical for someone to usurp that and people will have their criticisms of that I think Foden was the one that I thought could he maybe make it could he not I don't think Cole Palmer was ever really in his thoughts yeah I think the thing with Cole Palmer is that he's clearly carrying an injury that means the best version excuse me the best version of him is not available to England right now yeah and that's not his fault and I don't think this means the end for Cole Palmer's England career.

16:28Vishal Sinha: He's unfortunately not able to be at his best at the moment. I think it's interesting that both he and Cole Palmer, sorry, he and Phil Foden played in the Club World Cup last year as well. So there's perhaps some issues there in terms of the miles on the clock. Maybe. Although that was one of the arguments for me, getting Cole Palmer in the squad. He knows how to score big goals in the heat of North America in the summer. He's met the big dog. But he's not there. And yeah, I mean, M Burke, Gibbs White not being included is ridiculous. I mean I kind of understand that if Gibbs White was in this squad I certainly wouldn't be going well he's only played well in a short period of the season or whatever I would get that but what you said Jim earlier is something that all of us fans say is what about the last 20 minutes of a game when we need to do this or what about this that and the other perhaps we see things totally different to an elite level manager that Thomas Tuchel is he'll see himself as having options there with Rodgers and Ezra he will but again when I come in and I'll speak on behalf of myself here obviously but I suspect again there's a fair few England fans who would think like this as well but what if it's Thomas Tuchel doesn't want to have any chaos he wants control of football matches he doesn't want to think if it goes wrong of course he'll have plan B and C and all that kind of stuff but I don't think he's going to go like we would playing fantasy football in our minds or playing some computer game or whatever I'm just going to chaos just not how he'd operate

17:48Marcus Speller: well as you say we talk about what about when you need something in the last 15 minutes? And he's thinking, well, what about the first 75? Indeed.

17:57Vishal Sinha: And they do have options off the bench for those kind of things. One player, though, that is included in the camp is Jordan Henderson. I don't think it was a huge surprise you said that as well, Jim. I mean, Kiriak Ozil said, I get Hando, this is almost a six-week camp. You need some good table tennis players in the camp, echoing my thoughts earlier. and Don Tano to anyone said Henderson's experience is a politically oppressive country can't be overstated which is I'll leave that there He knows the regime Yeah I mean it is a long camp if England are to go very deep in this tournament this is a bigger World Cup than we've seen before there's an extra game on the way to the final whoever gets there obviously we hope it's England you want to count your chickens or anything again he wants Henderson around the squad we were talking before we came on I said we'll just take him as a coach then maybe he feels that would be disrespectful to Jordan Henderson yeah possibly I mean he obviously knows better than this doesn't it and the players all seem to be very sort of big fans of Henderson as a person and as a player because again there is a massive disconnect between how we see this and how players and the managers see it I do wonder though if at if at some point you have to look at players like Harry Kane and Declan Rice and even John Stones and go, we've got enough experience.

19:29Vishal Sinha: We've got enough leadership in this squad to not need to bring Jordan Henderson and perhaps make better use of that squad spot for a player. So my question would be, what if it was a 25-man squad? Do you see what I mean? I understand the point you are making totally, but I think that this is one of the chats that we often have around this, is that we often scrutinise the fringe players. And actually, the fringe players are not going to... Sure, but I mean, every player you pick is an opportunity to change a game, right? There might be a game that is screaming out for the skill set of Adam Wharton.

20:08Vishal Sinha: Let's say Elliot Anderson's picked up a knock for a game is when he can't start, he's going to be a better option on the pitch than Jordan Henderson is at this stage of Henderson's career. And I suppose that is a... I do agree with that. Obviously, that is a risk that Tuchel's willing to take. There's always an element of risk in leaving some players out and bringing other players along. And I... Yeah, I just find it... Baffling? Not baffling, because I understand the reasons. I just find it underwhelming, I think. Well, yeah. I mean, again, to try and get into Tuchel's mindset, we've said it before, and I'm going to say it again, you mentioned, say, Stones, Rice and Kane.

20:45Vishal Sinha: Rice would be the only slightly more similar type of character from where I'm sitting to Henderson in that sort of leader. But Henderson having the age and also seemingly being able to knock Jude Bellingham down a peg or two when he needs to, that seems to be it. Henderson is the kind of eldest. Good age! He's a good age! Oh, dear. Ah, the naughties. I think, you know, also as well with Henderson. Again, you have to remember with some of these sort of younger players in the squad, they will have grown up watching him play. You know, he's won everything at club level.

21:23Marcus Speller: I don't need to remind them of that. That's true, yeah.

21:26Vishal Sinha: You know, yeah, he's won everything. And so maybe there is an element of looking up to him in that regard, whatever it may be. but he's in there, much to the annoyance of a lot of other people who are England fans and certainly in the comments as well. I mean, Adam Wharton, you know, Rickster says Wharton over Hendo at one million percent. He just doesn't fancy Adam Wharton, does he? No.

21:54Marcus Speller: Yeah, I wonder how much of it was based around this idea that like he's, I don't know, like maybe he's like, he wasn't quite as mobile or certainly as like have the same kind of thrust as other options but then i suppose he hasn't gone with ghana has he's gone with gone with henderson so yeah i don't know a bit like marcus what do you um yeah with with wharton do you think it would be that much of a difference to say like what a main or even like a more advanced rice would be able to offer?

22:30Vishal Sinha: I mean, Jim's already touched on, I suppose. My concern is if Elliot Anderson gets an injury, who then comes into that midfield and still allows Declan Rice to be the Declan Rice that he is at Arsenal? Because if, and again, here we are sort of planning for the worst, but like you do have to have a contingency plan, you know, I'm not saying you need to take four strikers because everyone in case the first three get, you know, but if something happens to Elliot Anderson, injuries do happen and people do get exhausted especially playing in very high intense heat, right? So if Elliot Anderson's not on the pitch like I say, the one thing that we really want from this England team will be to Harry Kane to replicate his form that he's been doing at club level and for England by and large but also Declan Rice is one of England's most important players and to do what he does for Arsenal in previous tournaments he's often had to be more of a defensive midfielder which he's happy doing and he's very good at doing.

23:34Vishal Sinha: He's also played that role recently for Arsenal. Fair, fair good to point that out and I think if Anderson's not on the pitch who then comes in because if Kobe Maynou and I'm glad Maynou's in, he was in my sort of predicted or desired squad that we did yesterday on social media but Maynou who is a bit more, wants to play as a number eight, a shuttler up and down and get forward and join in attacks as well. And so that's why I think with Walton, you have that anchor that would be in there. But it will be Henderson. I know Elliot Anderson plays different roles as well and you can get into the real sort of technical bits and pieces of this.

24:11Vishal Sinha: But Elliot Anderson is there to sit along Declan Rice and to be more of a holder than Rice, I think, in that midfield. So it'll be Jordan Henderson.

24:19Marcus Speller: so Henderson is only going to see action in the last you know the last portion of the game that England are winning yeah I broadly don't have a problem with that I think the point you make about injuries is the big one really but you'd imagine

24:34Vishal Sinha: or is Nico O 'Reilly going to go into midfield and suddenly the whole thing opens up and what are we doing here

24:39Marcus Speller: you'd imagine if like if Anderson is injured and has to be replaced then that's that's Ghana through and through isn't it

24:46Vishal Sinha: yeah I mean again I know all action yeah Yeah, I mean, I know that we're talking about, you know, Tuchel wants more sort of round pegs in round holes rather than, you know, people can do it a lot. I mean, you could even have, even though he's not played much, you know, John Stone stepping up into that midfield or something like that. But I think we're getting into, you know, very speculative territory here. So to bring it back to the squad, you know, Henderson, it is a controversial pick. Lots of people have their opinion on that and I totally get it.

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28:15Vishal Sinha: The number 10 situation, as we say, it's Rodgers and it's Bellingham. I think they are the two that are the frontrunners for it. By the way, strap yourselves in, people. Do not be that shocked if it is actually Morgan Rodgers in the number 10. I think it will be Bellingham, but I think that is closer than a lot of people might think. I mean, Tuchel's shown the willingness to do that before. Totally, yeah. I mean, there's one thing that we can all agree. Tuchel does not give a damn. what the media think. No. Which is great. We've been calling out for that for a long time. There is a happy medium.

28:42Vishal Sinha: But you know. He also,

28:43Marcus Speller: I don't think so.

28:45Vishal Sinha: I'm not taking Kane. I don't care what you're saying. He hasn't done that. I'm being silly.

28:50Marcus Speller: And I think there's probably the right kind of, you know, ignoring of fans as well. I mean, the fact that he has, you know, he's called out.

28:58Vishal Sinha: Never applies to me. Yeah.

29:00Marcus Speller: But the fact that he's called out the Wembley atmosphere and things like that, don't have a problem with that. You know, I think my annoyance as I mentioned at the top of the show yesterday was purely about like my favourites and I think that's broadly apart from you know I suppose the Henderson thing feels like the most pointed bit but it's just everyone's you know everyone annoyed that their player that they wanted in I know what you mean

29:22Vishal Sinha: and Gibbs White is very much that I think that he's fun isn't he I think that's what it is that comes into an England tournament far more than I think it does to how we look at our own clubs seasons and how we mentally prepare for them and what we hope for from them because if you know let's take it back to the ultimate example of this England 4 Netherlands 1 you remember so much about that because that period but wasn't it bliss it was because it was so much fun and you're always looking at your kind of creative unpredictable players to perhaps bring a little bit of that but it doesn't mean it's actually going to happen do you think we're still we're still looking for the Paul Gascoigne yeah exactly yeah I mean I think that's it with Gibbs White you want that the idea I don't know what it's like in other countries.

30:06Vishal Sinha: I would imagine certainly in some countries it would be the same, but there is something very seductive for us in the idea of somebody off the bench to suddenly have this mercurial talent and to just start waving his wand around.

30:22Marcus Speller: Yeah, we are, but like we, I don't know if it's like an English thing full stop. Yeah, I don't know. We do crave the cameo, don't we?

30:28Vishal Sinha: Yeah, we do. Again, I'd be very happy to hear from other people from other countries saying this is a stupid English thing, or maybe it's maybe it's also

30:37Marcus Speller: just a general thing like superheroes arrive in the nick of time there is a romance to that and also

30:42Vishal Sinha: we are in a privileged position here because we're looking at this squad and we are thinking about cameos off the bench in a 10 minute period or whatever we're not worried about that first team I don't think and even then there are options there are queues in certain places there are definitely some picks here that are a little surprising maybe they're down to sort of social reasons in some cases as well and the gelling of the camp because it is going to be like 6 ,000 years long, this World Cup, obviously. They're going to be sort of in a very kind of intense situation in terms of what the World Cup is actually like on the ground.

31:20Vishal Sinha: There's going to probably be a lot of culture war stuff to deal with. Perhaps he's going for a sort of blend of characters that are going to make this camp fit and make it work. But yeah, I mean, there would be some countries looking at this going, God, there's no combination of 11 players here that doesn't have some gaping hole in it. Do you remember when there wasn't a left-footed Englishman in the world? Yeah. Oh, yeah. That wasn't even, relatively speaking, in football terms. It wasn't that long ago, I guess. Now we've got a left-foot goalkeeper.

31:46Marcus Speller: Yeah, exactly. What a treat.

31:48Vishal Sinha: Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean, it could be the case where, you know, we might start a right-footed left-back again. But look, just because it didn't really work with Kieran Tripp, he doesn't mean to say it can't work again. but O 'Reilly will be the starting left back. I've no doubt about that. But I think that's why I think the surprising one for a lot of people, certainly on Twitter last night from what I was seeing was Lewis Hall because I think a lot of people had him as a starter. Whereas otherwise you are talking fourth choice centre half or Jordan Henderson being there or whatever. I mean, D-Loo on roids, hello, said, is it possible Tommy Tewks didn't want any squad players who would think they should be in the starting 11?

32:27Vishal Sinha: Now, as I say, Maguire apparently had that understanding but maybe maybe two who sort of looked him in the eye and thought yeah but we all know that you you would want to be starting I don't know yeah I mean with so many conversations that happen that we're not privy to and shouldn't be privy to quite frankly with Foden and Carl Palmer that's probably the case with two of those players where they might and this is not to sort of speculate about either of their characters but the profile of player they are the status of player they are that would be more of a media thing because every player should want to play in the starting 11 of course again you will get one or two who just like they know that they're not going to start but what i'm saying yeah and i appreciate this is a slightly different point from the one you were putting forward is that that that circus does become a problem we've seen it over and over again yes with those two players not being there you don't get the clamor for that and you don't get the whole kind of um drama around it uh which i think is is potentially a very very good thing joel morris has wonderfully commented will somebody please think of jesse lingard yeah jay lings you know he's got jay lings on the back of his shirt now and i actually love I love it because that's the culture in Brazil, isn't it?

33:29Vishal Sinha: You have your nickname on the back of your shirt. Fair play to him. I mean, he's played in warmer climes. Yeah, that's true. He's acclimatized.

33:37Marcus Speller: Yeah, he's also spent a lot of free time in the US in his summers and stuff. So he knows it.

33:43Vishal Sinha: He's good. One man who knows what it is to play in the heat. Yes. Ivan Toney.

33:47Marcus Speller: I mean, that to me.

33:49Vishal Sinha: I like it. I've got to say I like it. Yeah.

33:52Marcus Speller: It was the. Come on. There's your wild card. There's a bit of outside out of mind. there's I suppose a similar complex to Jordan Henderson when he went there but playing in a weaker league and thus I suppose maybe it's because of the nature of his position in particular but it felt like he would lose a bit by not playing as intense football as high quality football I suppose with Tony there's always been like the class is always on him because of the style of player he is I'm a little bit wary that he might have also just been picked for the penalty in a knockout game that we probably won't reach.

34:35Marcus Speller: But otherwise, I can't really complain with it.

34:38Vishal Sinha: Or is he there to just fill his boots against Panama? Him and Ollie Watkins, two up top. There you go. Now you're talking. I mean, Watkins, you would think would be the number two.

34:47Marcus Speller: You'd be livid if you're Watkins and he gets that gig against Panama.

34:51Vishal Sinha: I mean, they both know what it is to be back up to Kane because they were both back up in the last Euros.

34:57Marcus Speller: that's a really good point and they were used very differently as well they were

35:01Vishal Sinha: and I think Watkins is very ready to come on for the last half an hour of a game if say if Kane really is tiring or indeed picks up a knock or something again it changes the sort of profile and the dynamic of the attack but those players know what it is to play with Oli Watkins I think Watkins is very much in on merit and I think that the last international break you would think that Tuchel well again going on what I said earlier which was I think Tuchel had already got this by and large done barring injuries about six months ago that is the impression I get but I think with Watkins there could have been a bit of a kick up the arse well if that was the case he very much had the desired effect whatever it is Watkins in I don't think anybody complains with that with Tony I am surprised because he played about four minutes of football under Tuchel he was annoyed was it at the city ground when England got beaten off Senegal all.

35:56Vishal Sinha: I think he did even say in the post-match or maybe someone, perhaps someone did. I don't want to put words in Tony's mouth, but there was a feeling of, well, what was the point of that? You know, Gareth Southgate said during the last Euros when he said, all right, you know, do you want to come on or get ready to come on against Slovakia? Was it when he came on and he set up the goal for Kane and he went, you know, he had a face like thunder as if to say, all right, well, now you're cool on me sort of thing. So, you know, Tony is a certain type of character, but I mean, with 26 other, with 25 other blokes in the scored there is room for a character like that and i think you know with um uh uh with tony there is an arrogance about him which i like yeah and he's been banging the goals in yes in a in a poor league but the fact is he's used to scoring goals yeah he's got the confidence thomas tuchel um in

36:42Marcus Speller: his press conference about 20 minutes ago said um on tony's selection um it's also a bit of a surprise for us but when it came to all types of scenarios he was back in the picture i had fantastic feedback from his coach, who happens to be a friend of Thomas Tuchel from the Stuttgart days, I believe. I'll look into that. Yeah. No one's going to pull you out. Yeah. He still collects the numbers and he has very special skills when we're chasing a goal. He can be very valuable, in addition to Harry Kane, when we're pushing for that goal. He can take attention from other strikers. He's a natural finisher.

37:17Marcus Speller: He can help with set pieces, not forgetting he's a world-class penalty taker. He ticks some boxes.

37:21Vishal Sinha: And also, he's not phased by anything. Honestly, if England say we're in an enormous game in this World Cup, damn it all, let's say the final. And Kane gets injured, there's one minute to go, we've got a penalty to win the game. If you said, Tony, do you want to come on and take the penalty? Yeah, go on then.

37:39Marcus Speller: Yeah, so the Al-Halafi manager is Matthias Jaisel, perhaps. he played in the Stuttgart youth team that Tuchel used to coach

37:53Vishal Sinha: okay so there you go again all being well Jim Ivan Tony's not going to play that much is there a possibility that Thomas Tuchel has uploaded a draft of the squad to the online portal oh no I've submitted that now I've done it on DocuSign as well fucking hell just gonna have to gonna have to style this one out yeah we start with a 4-4-2 with Bellingham and Henderson well even that could work

38:26Marcus Speller: if one yes please yes please if one stay one stay with the other that conversation's dead they know yeah we can play we can play Rhys James on the right wing on the right wing none of this inverted nonsense and then we can play we can play Saka on the left there you are those two in the middle

38:44Vishal Sinha: easy peasy

38:45Marcus Speller: Hit it up to Tony. Tony will flick it on to Cade. He'll flick it on and they'll get a goal kick. But it's going to work.

38:52Vishal Sinha: What a goal kick, though. What a goal kick it will be. Well, look, I think we're getting a game back.

38:58Marcus Speller: I'm really excited. I'm going to go out and get a Jed Spence shirt.

39:02Vishal Sinha: Jim, will you join him on that particular plan? For England, no. Okay, fine, fine. Yeah, the club rivalries are still there. Well, look, I think, you know, if we're coming to land on this, I think that yes, people will, when you drop players the size of, you know, in terms of their status, Foden and Palmer, and also Gibbs White, who's got a lot of public backing as well, these conversations, I don't think, are going to go away until the football starts to be played. And even then, you will still have fans, maybe even ourselves, you know, who will say, oh, but that game, if we had Gibbs White there to bring him or whatever, blah, blah, blah, blah.

39:38Vishal Sinha: That will always happen. But I do think, though, to put that positive spin on it, and it's not just doing it for the sake of this I do believe this actually I look at that squad and I'm actually little teensy perhaps I'm the only person in the kingdom at the moment little teensy more confident in what Tuchel's doing because like I said I think he's picked that squad and he's like I know what we're doing and these are the players that I need you know which is why Jao Kwanza's in there for example because if England as you mentioned earlier want to build up games back three comes into play two in the midfield O 'Reilly joins in there blah blah blah blah get into all that detailed tactics stuff I think I look at this and I think yeah I think he knows what he's actually doing here and I don't think he gives a damn and this is why this sort of idea of the x factor and whatnot I think Tony's the only one and I'm pleased for the reasons that he stated and for the reasons we've talked about as well but I'm just that tiny bit more confident yeah I mean it feels like it was quite a while ago now because Southgate didn't always do this but there was a sort of era of picking favorites with England for a long time that frustrated a lot of fans where you'd have players who were big names that weren't necessarily in form and they and they would go whatever happened yes and it often sort of dogged england a bit and i think we're now in this sort of era of overplayed knackered slightly injured superstars who desperately desperately need a rest yes and um to treat them as the former sorry as the latter rather than the former makes more sense yeah yeah um also as well you remember the last tournament which is even though england got all the way to the final in terms of actually how they played yeah southgate in england's like worst tournament you know I love Southgate and I loved what he did blah blah blah but you remember it was like who's going to partner Declan Rice in this group fixture it was like oh we'll try Trent it didn't work bring him off at half time or whenever it was put Connor Gallagher in that position how's Foden doing

41:25Marcus Speller: shifting to the right it did feel a bit

41:28Vishal Sinha: like that like I say my takeaway from the squad is I think he knows what he's doing but Vish your final thoughts on the squad

41:33Marcus Speller: yeah I have a bit more faith in him I think kind of as I've calmed down I've just seen a bit of sense and I think everything you two have said is spot on it's about the 11 it's about specific difference makers from the bench I think the squad has all of those I don't think I personally don't think England are going to win the World Cup but I can't complain that they're with this squad that they're not giving it a good shot yeah

41:59Vishal Sinha: one man we didn't mention actually was was Jared Bowen but I think his form dipped at a really unfortunate time yeah So yeah, I just feel like a little cursory mention before we go for Bowen there. Let's finish with this comment from Toby Sharp. Thomas Tuchel is an anagram of O-ham cutlets. Good omen for the Bacon Boys. Well, I mean, couldn't and I wouldn't argue with that. Thank you very much for watching the Football Ramble live stream of Thomas Tuchel's England squad. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for all your comments, particularly to you Toby Sharp my goodness if I had my way you'd have an OBE there we are the chat about the England squad will go on and on and on right through the night through the weekend and into the tournament and beyond and we look forward to every moment of it we'll see you on Monday for a Football Ramble review of the weekend's action thanks for joining

43:04Bull Ramble is a stack production and part of the A-Cast Creator Network.

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