Three Lions Head Coach, Tuchel, Rules Out Trio Starting Together in Current England System
England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that he cannot fit Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane into his current system without compromising the balance of his team.
Speaking to TalkSport ahead of England’s World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, Tuchel explained that both Bellingham and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers are competing for the number 10 role in his preferred 4-3-3 formation.
Under Tuchel, England have adopted a system that relies heavily on natural wingers to stretch play, with Bukayo Saka the first choice on the right and either Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford operating on the left. Kane remains the focal point in attack, leaving only one central attacking slot behind him.
At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play together,” Tuchel said. They can, but not in this structure, not for the balance that we developed and not for the structure that comes with wingers, who are specialists in their positions.
The remarks highlight the growing competition in England’s attacking midfield department, with Bellingham, Foden, Rogers, Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White all vying for limited spaces. Palmer is currently sidelined with a groin injury, while Gibbs-White was left out of the latest squad.
Tuchel praised the “immense” talent at his disposal but cautioned that he will not overload his World Cup squad with too many similar profiles.
I don’t see how taking five number 10s will help us,” he stated. “Whoever misses out won’t do so because they don’t deserve it—it will be because we have to do what’s best for the team, for balance, and for winning.
The German coach emphasized that difficult decisions will continue as England prepare for next year’s World Cup, saying: “We take tough decisions in any camp, and this will not change when we go to a tournament.”
With Bellingham and Foden both recalled for the November qualifiers, attention will be on how Tuchel manages England’s attacking riches and whether the trio of Bellingham, Foden, and Kane can eventually coexist in a reimagined setup.