Now, the controversy about the England national team's call-up list has subsided. Instead, the "Three Lions" face a more urgent issue when Thomas Tuchel has to choose who will start in the attack line with many stars.
From the beginning, Tuchel did not try to squeeze too many attacking players into the call-up list. However, with the remaining names, it is also a very difficult problem to define. The German strategist once shared that he will try to make each position in the starting lineup a competition of at least 2 players. Now is the time for Tuchel to make a choice.
The England team under Tuchel will operate according to a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the highest position in attack, the person chosen is of course Harry Kane, but the position of 3 attacking players below will be an extremely fierce competition.
Bukayo Saka is not necessarily the optimal option on the right wing
Saka reached his peak performance under Mikel Arteta in the 2023-2024 season. In the last 2 campaigns, injuries and physical problems have made "Star Boy" unable to contribute regularly. Even in the past season, despite winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final, the 24-year-old star's performance was still not too impressive.
One of the objective reasons Saka is less explosive is because Arsenal in the last 2 seasons have chosen a more defensive playing style. The number of goals The Gunners scored in the Premier League has also decreased in the last 3 seasons (down from 91 to 69 and 77).
Not only that, opponents in the past 2 seasons have also marked Saka tighter. Last season, up to 90.3% of the 24-year-old striker's passes were placed under high pressure. This is the highest number in the entire Premier League for players who are not center forwards.
To solve this problem, Tuchel is forced to design more overlapping situations. It is no coincidence that Saka plays better in Arsenal's colors when Ben White is below. Or in some situations, the German coach may let Noni Madueke play first to deplete the opponent, then Saka will come in to decide. According to Opta statistics, Saka played 15 312 minutes in the Premier League before turning 24, the 10th highest number in the league history. Therefore, the Arsenal striker is quite exhausted.
Marcus Rashford or Anthony Gordon?
These two strikers have similar playing styles. They are both threats because of speed and suddenness. Rashford tends to cut into the center while Gordon prioritizes cornering. If given the right to choose, Kane would probably choose Rashford because this striker tends to play like Luis Diaz at Bayern Munich.
However, Tuchel often prioritizes more diligent players. Among these 2 attacking stars, when pressing without the ball is needed, the former Newcastle striker will do better than Rashford. Statistics in the Champions League last season show that Rashford has an average number of pressings 14 times/match less than Gordon. Therefore, the competition on the left wing will be very unpredictable.
Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers?
The position playing right below Harry Kane is also a difficult problem for Thomas Tuchel. The goal of the German coach at this time is to both ensure professionalism and avoid causing unnecessary conflicts in the dressing room.
Tuchel once emphasized that Bellingham and Rogers are good friends, but this is not related to the fact that both are competing very fiercely for the official position. Depending on each match, this position will be changed and this name will not be fixed.
If Tuchel wants to have a support for Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham should be chosen. The Real Madrid star is a typical box-to-box model, always closely following his opponent and often penetrating the penalty area to play a decisive role in attacks.
In defense, Bellingham is much better than Rogers. In 1,000 touches, Bellingham has an average of 4.11 tackles and 1.13 interceptions. Meanwhile, Rogers's figures are only 2.02 and 0.62. However, in terms of attack, Rogers is slightly better. The Aston Villa striker has good dribbling ability and is particularly effective in counter-attacks. He played freely in Unai Emery's formation, scoring 10 goals and having 6 assists in the Premier League last season, while Bellingham only had 4 goals and 4 assists in La Liga.
In addition to considering between attack and defense when choosing this "number 10" position, Tuchel also needs to consider not losing Harry Kane's position. Under Gareth Southgate, "number 10" players are often commented on for occupying Kane's space when retreating. Bellingham tends to stay in the central area, while Rogers tends to move to the left wing. Tuchel will need to decide who's movement style is more suitable for Kane.
