Joe Cole has spoken to Football365 about Thomas Tuchel and given his verdict on the bold decisions the England manager made when picking his squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Last month, Tuchel announced the 26-man squad he would be taking to North America, and some of his selections have been the source of much debate.
The renowned German coach made the big calls to leave out a trio of attacking midfield stars: Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White.
The 52-year-old did not find a place for Real Madrid right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, either, while his inclusion of Ivan Toney, Djed Spence and Jordan Henderson – among others – has been questioned.
In an exclusive interview with Football365, Cole revealed why he is “really happy” with the approach Tuchel took to choosing his England squad while admitting he “would have done it differently.”
“Listen, if you get every ex-footballer, every fan, to pick a 26-man squad, they will pick different players,” Cole said after appearing in Specsavers’ Best Worst Team series. “There’s a conversation and a debate and there will always be that.
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“What I’m really happy with with Thomas Tuchel is that he’s picked his team, he’s not bent for the media, he’s not done anything like that, he’s picked his team.
“And it’s got speed, it’s got strength, it’s got physicality. So we know how we’re gonna play, and we’ve got a roadmap on how we’ll be successful.
“And he’s stuck to his guns. He could have quite easily picked Cole Palmer, Foden, or Morgan Gibbs-White, and it would have been less of a discussion.
“The big news was leaving out all three of them; he’s left out his number 10s. So he’s playing the way he does.
“I would have done it differently, but I still believe in Thomas to pick the right tactics to win the tournament. That’s why he’s in the hotseat, and I’m doing this (punditry).”
Cole, a former attacking midfielder and winger who retired in 2018, scored 10 goals in 56 appearances for England between 2001 and 2010.
The Chelsea legend addressed whether a lack of midfield creativity could be a weakness in England’s squad.
“I just think in the heat of a North American World Cup, you have to keep the ball. But you can win it without that,” Cole said.
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“Germany got to the final in Brazil (in 2014) and they won it there. So, European teams can… they (Germany) weren’t as possession-based, they were very much (a) counter-attacking football (team).
“Look, he (Tuchel), is bold, he’s brave, he’s doing it the way he wants to do it.
“So really, you’ve got to big him up for that, because I think there’s been England managers in the past who have been guilty of picking players just to keep the press on side, or something like that.
“And he’s not done that. He’s got a clear vision, and we’ve got to all get behind him now.”
Tuchel won 11 major trophies across spells at Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Dortmund.
Cole was asked if Tuchel’s history of success could make the difference as England aim to lift a first trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
“Well, (Fabio) Capello had a great record of winning cup competitions, and that didn’t work,” the 44-year-old said.
“What I like about Thomas is, he is a winner. It seems like he’s got a tune out of the team already, he’s pushing them in a nice way, in the sense that, they know who’s boss, put it that way, which is a good thing.
“But he’s built a harmonious squad. So yeah, I think he’s the man for the job.”
England won 1-0 against New Zealand and 3-0 against Costa Rica in their two World Cup warm-up matches.
The Three Lions are in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama, with all three games taking place in the United States.
Watch the final episode of the Best Worst Team series on the Specsavers YouTube channel.
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