Roy Keane pinpoints where Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is ‘not good’ | Football

England boast a star-studded squad as Thomas Tuchel prepares to make them the World Cup, but Roy Keane thinks there may be a transparent area during which the Three Lions are ‘not good’.

Tuchel named a 35-man squad for the present international break, during which England play two friendlies at Wembley.

They tackle Uruguay on Friday night after which Japan on Tuesday, with players hoping to impress the boss of their final fixtures before travelling across the Atlantic this summer.

Given the dimensions of the squad for the friendlies it was a surprise to see Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold miss the cut.

The 27-year-old has not been used much by Tuchel since he took charge of the Three Lions, but that has partly been right down to injuries since his move to Spain from Liverpool.

Now fit and playing well, Alexander-Arnold was expected to be chosen and Keane was especially surprised because he doesn’t see higher defenders within the squad.

The previous Reds star has been criticised for the defensive side of his game, but Keane doesn’t think his rivals are particularly strong in that department either.

The Manchester United legend said on Keep on with Football: ‘The strange thing is when people say about Trent and his defensive stuff, but he must take a look at the opposite defenders ahead of him and go: “Well they’re not great defensively either!”

‘It’s not as if Tuchel goes, that’s going to be rock solid on the back, among the lads ahead of him, they’re not even good defenders. There’s something happening.’

With Reece James out injured, the right-back options in Tuchel’s squad are Djed Spence, Tino Livramento and Ezri Konsa, with Ben White also coming in to interchange the injured Jarell Quansah.

All 4 are able to playing different roles across the back 4, but Keane isn’t convinced that may be a reason to choose a player, feeling the defensive qualities within the squad are below par.

‘We keep talking concerning the England squad and saying, well they will play in several roles. You wish lads who’re really good, don’t be a jack of all trades,’ he said.

‘Ben White’s only played seven league games for Arsenal. Seven!

‘You take a look at that squad and analyse it, defensively that England squad isn’t good, defensively.’

The Irishman added on Alexander-Arnold’s omission: ‘For those who’re a player like Trent and also you’re unnoticed of a 35-man squad, I still think that’s on you, that’s on the player.

‘You could think, “how have I not done enough to influence a manager to get me in a squad?” There should be something.

‘It’s about within the group. Tuchel said from day one, “I would like lads who’re good travellers,” all such a thing and there’s something obviously about him he doesn’t like. It may well’t be football. You don’t should like everybody, but there’s something amiss, in fact.’

What Tuchel said about Alexander-Arnold omission

‘I do know thoroughly what Trent can offer us. I played persistently against him and suffered when he played against my teams with Liverpool. So I do know thoroughly about his strength and what he can provide.

‘But in the intervening time it’s like now we have evidence how good we were in September, October, November, and the players who’re in camp for right full-back, they should push for his or her ticket, they should compete, they’ve to point out again that they deserve this.

‘I do know that it’s a tricky decision for Trent because it is for Ollie Watkins in the intervening time and for Luke Shaw. These tough decisions include the job. It’s a sporting decision.

‘It’s a sporting decision that we persist with Quansah, with Livramento and with Spence. It’s a choice for Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who I don’t know in addition to I do know, for instance, Ollie Watkins.

‘I feel I even have a really clear picture of what Ollie can provide us. I saw him in tournaments. I saw him with us in qualifying football, so I would like to have a take a look at two other players to get a greater picture and have a clearer opinion.

‘I comprehend it’s a tricky one. I comprehend it’s a giant name. I feel it’s an enormous talent and with a giant profession, but I feel that I do know what Trent can provide us and decided still to keep on with the players who were in camp.’

Wayne Rooney was stunned the Real Madrid star was not picked and suggested that Tuchel was attempting to ‘split up’ a ‘clique’ including Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham.

‘The one big surprise was obviously Trent. I find it incredible that he’s not in a 35-man squad,’ he said on The Wayne Rooney Show. ‘It didn’t sound like there was any way back for Trent the best way Tuchel spoke.

‘He needs to be in that squad, his ability, his quality. I’ve said it persistently and I’m sure he’d say himself that he’s not one of the best defender, but what he has on the ball is something no other English player has. He’s been playing recently and he’s been playing rather well.

‘There’s an argument he needs to be starting, so not having him within the squad, it feels a little bit bit deeper. I do know he’s good mates with Jude and it looks like there’s been just a few issues with Jude, so possibly he feels there’s a clique there and he’s attempting to split it up. I don’t know what the explanations are.’

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