England boss Thomas Tuchel faced the media fresh from picking his first squad since taking up the role.
The former Bayern Munich head coach discussed various topics, from Jordan Henderson’s surprise inclusion to how he would like his England side to play and the previously exiled Ben White.
Jordan Henderson’s controversial inclusion
The inclusion of Jordan Henderson has puzzled some sections of the England fanbase.
Many view it as a regression, pointing to the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, and Conor Gallagher as more worthy candidates for the squad.
Tuchel was quick to defend the former Liverpool captain.
“Why Jordan? I think this is a pretty easy one. First of all, he’s a serial winner, he’s captain of Ajax at the moment.
“What he brings to every team is leadership, character, personality, energy, he makes sure everyone lives by the standards and with these characteristics he embodies everything we are trying to build.”
While the former Chelsea manager seems to like the discipline Henderson brings to the side and has defended the midfielder, it must be noted that his inclusion was certainly out of left field and a risky call.
The Ben White conversation
One of the first items on Tuchel’s agenda when he first got the job, was the Ben White situation.
The versatile Arsenal defender has not been in a Three Lions squad since leaving the 2022 World Cup mid-way through the tournament, the reason for that has been speculated ad nauseum.
The new England manager says White would “love to be back in the squad”, confirming he is available for international selection again.
However, the former Brighton man did not make the squad, Tuchel explained why: “I think it’s a bit too early for him, given the seriousness of the injury that he had.”
White only recently returned from a serious knee injury suffered in November, but Tuchel was “thankful” to Arsenal for allowing the FA medical team to monitor the 27-year-old closely.
Tuchel went on to say what White needs to do to get back into the squad: “Now it’s just a question of getting more minutes and getting more rhythm and then he has every chance to be back, he wants to be back.”
So, after over two years, it looks as though a return to the national team is very much on the cards for White.
Rashford’s return
Thomas Tuchel knows all about Marcus Rashford.
On two separate occasions, the Aston Villa loanee scored last-gasp winners against Tuchel’s PSG side, so Tuchel is acutely aware of just how devastating a player Rashford can be.
Rashford’s loan move to Villa Park appears to have breathed new life into a career that looked to be faltering, something Tuchel points out.
“I feel Marcus (has) had a huge impact on Aston Villa since he joined, he made an impact from the bench, the impact was impressive.
“His work rate, his defensive work rate, his hard work, his counter pressing and his tracking back was impressive.”
It will be interesting to see how Tuchel utilises Rashford, whether he will operate as striker or a wide player remains to be seen.
The reintroduction of Rashford to the national set up is another step in the right direction for the 27-year-old, who is continuing to attempt to rebuild his career under Unai Emery's watchful eye.
How will Tuchel’s team play?
England’s style of play is always a hot topic. Should they be direct? Should they attempt to emulate other nations’ more fluid style? Tuchel gave his thoughts on how an England team should play.
“It (the style of play) needs to reflect the Premier League. The Premier League is a very physical league, it’s a very direct league.
“I think we should be brave enough to play like an England squad and not try to copy other nations and other styles too much.
“I think it should reflect the values of the country. So we will try to implement a direct style, an attacking style.”
It would appear that England’s identity, according to Tuchel at least, should be rooted in England’s top division and its people.
It’s clear he wants to emphasise hard work and physical presence, which Gareth Southgate’s teams were often criticised for lacking.
This may be why Jordan Henderson was included in the squad. For all of his faults, Henderson is a workhorse, and even at the age of 34, he gets through a lot of work.
Myles Lewis-Skelly impresses Tuchel
Myles Lewis-Skelly has seriously impressed this season.
Since making his Arsenal debut in September, the 18-year-old has gone on to make the left back position at the Emirates Stadium his own and with the likes of Lewis Hall and Luke Shaw injured, plus Ben Chilwell struggling to find form, the young gunner was the most sensible solution to England’s left back issue.
Tuchel spoke of how impressed he’s been with the youngster: “I’m so impressed with Myles, he has so quickly become a regular player for Arsenal, the second best team in the country.
“Mikel Arteta picks him regularly, so this was very impressive from the very start.”
Tuchel then spoke about Lewis-Skelly’s age and the need to protect him: “It feels a little bit like we’ve fast forwarded a career that was already on fast pace.
“I can assure the talks in the last days and weeks had a bit of a parental vibe, a bit of a protective vibe, to the point we felt maybe we should not pick him and protect him a little bit.
“But in the end with injuries, and the quality and maturity he’s shown in the matches, we’ve decided to take him,”
There’s a very good chance that Lewis-Skelly will start both games over the coming days, but it’s clear Tuchel will make sure he is looked after, something that cannot always be said of young players coming into England squads in the past.
