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The Independent

·28 June 2026

The positive for Thomas Tuchel is that there’s at least one fit English right-back currently in New York. The drawback is that it’s Gary Neville — now 51 years old and offering punditry from a rooftop in Brooklyn.

As England stumbled their way to topping Group L, their persistent right-back dilemma resurfaced once again. It is, to some extent, a curse of their own making — born from peculiar selections and an unnecessary streak of stubbornness. When Jude Bellingham finally broke Panama’s resistance, delivering yet another moment of individual brilliance to save a poor team display, England were, for a brief spell, down to ten men.

Jarell Quansah had been forced off the pitch, nursing an injury and a yellow card for his troubles. That made him the third right-back casualty in two weeks — following Tino Livramento and Reece James. Quansah, of course, isn’t even a natural right-back.

Jarell Quansah’s injury has merely extended England’s ongoing right-back curse (Reuters)

Enter Djed Spence — the fourth-choice right-back. Or perhaps the fifth, if one counts Ben White, who would likely have played ahead of him if not for his own injury. It might all have seemed a case of terrible luck, were it not for Tuchel’s continued refusal to summon the most obvious replacement.

For a manager renowned for strategic clarity, Tuchel’s indecision feels damning. Quansah spent much of his hour on the pitch tucked inside as a third centre-back — which makes sense, since that’s his natural position. Given Tuchel’s surplus of central defenders, his selection contradicts the supposed logic of having two players per position.

Tuchel’s tactical emphasis on crossing seemed especially ironic given that one of football’s finest crossers, Trent Alexander-Arnold, was at home — in Madrid, on Merseyside, or on holiday — anywhere but in England’s World Cup squad. While there’s little point in repeatedly lamenting Alexander-Arnold’s omission, it remains a glaring oversight. Quansah’s lack of overlapping runs wasn’t his fault; Tuchel had chosen him largely because he plays on the right of a back three for Bayer Leverkusen.

And if Quansah was expected to add defensive solidity, that too seemed questionable — since Panama’s brightest moments came through their left-winger, Jose Luis Rodriguez, who threatened England’s goal in both halves. Despite consecutive clean sheets that secured their passage to the last 32, Tuchel’s side continues to exude fragility. His half-time team talk, which had previously inspired a turnaround against Croatia, seemed ineffective here — Panama could have scored within 20 seconds of kick-off, and again moments after the first hydration break.

Like Ghana before them, Panama troubled England on the counterattack. Tuchel’s setup once again appeared ill-equipped to handle it. His supposedly pragmatic approach has repeatedly unravelled even in what should have been a straightforward group.

John Stones, who started against Croatia, has not featured since. Once England’s standout performer under Gareth Southgate, the defender’s decline has been apparent — sidelined by Pep Guardiola last season and seemingly written off by Tuchel in this tournament. After just one game, it feels as though Tuchel has lost faith in Stones’ physical condition.

Replacing the injured Livramento with Trevoh Chalobah in the squad only reinforced that impression. Meanwhile, England’s squad now includes several veterans who rarely take the field. Jordan Henderson, briefly wearing the captain’s armband, became the first England player to appear in seven major tournaments. Yet he and Dan Burn seem to have been selected more for their influence off the pitch than their impact on it.

Jordan Henderson briefly captained England against Panama (Reuters)

Adding to the absurdity, England’s base camp is located in the heart of the United States — far from most of their match venues. Their regular 2,000-mile round trips to Kansas City have become routine. Should they stay in the competition, they’ll play all six of their potential remaining matches in the east — New York, Boston, Atlanta or Miami — without venturing anywhere near the Pacific coast. Establishing a base halfway between Los Angeles and Boston seems utterly pointless under those circumstances.

This logistical misstep reflects a wider issue with Tuchel’s planning. He didn’t neglect preparation — he just finalised it far too early. England’s base was chosen before the fixture list was even announced, and most of the squad had been decided nine months ago. Tuchel’s failure to adapt as circumstances changed has clearly backfired.

That rigidity has extended to team selection. Sidelining creative talents like Alexander-Arnold, Adam Wharton, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Morgan Gibbs-White now looks increasingly misguided. England appear predictable and uninspired.

Thomas Tuchel’s England side looks painfully one-dimensional, a result of perplexing selection choices (Getty)

Across two group matches, England have played well for perhaps 15 minutes in total. Continuity is often prized in tournaments — but England’s has merely meant the continuation of mediocrity. Their performance against Panama was every bit as poor as the one against Ghana.

In the end, their flaws didn’t cost them — at least not yet. But Tuchel may soon need another tactical rethink, especially if Quansah’s injury proves serious. At that point, perhaps he could call upon Neville — who, to be fair, did enjoy a decent World Cup once. Though that was back in 1998.