Tuchel's Free Market System: England's Formula for the World Cup

LONDON, SATURDAY – England coach Thomas Tuchel has selected 24 players for the upcoming matches against Andorra and Serbia in the continuation of the World Cup qualifiers. A surprise occurred with the inclusion of new names and the exclusion of several players who were regulars during Gareth Southgate's era. With the World Cup approaching, Tuchel is employing a free market system to foster intense competition among the players.

The suspicions of some parties regarding the fate of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the England national team have finally been confirmed. The right-back of Real Madrid was not included in the 24-player roster announced by Tuchel. Instead, Tuchel preferred Reece James and Timo Livramento for the right-back position. Trent was once a choice for Tuchel when facing Andorra last June, but he only played as a substitute for 26 minutes.

For a long time, Tuchel has seemed not entirely confident in Trent's abilities. In May, Tuchel stated that if Trent wanted to make a significant impact on the England national team, he needed to be very, very serious about his defensive responsibilities.

We decided to build a more solid and competitive squad. We didn't use all 23 players.

Indications that Trent is not in Tuchel's plans began to emerge after a disappointing performance in the opening match of La Liga against Osasuna. He recorded only 77 touches before being substituted in the second half. Additionally, Trent's dangerous crosses were no longer evident.

In addition to Trent, another regular player from the era of coach Gareth Southgate who has been sidelined is Jack Grealish. The former left winger of Manchester City, who is currently on loan to Everton, delivered an impressive performance by providing two assists in helping his team secure a 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion. Nevertheless, Grealish remains excluded.

"We have decided to form a more solid and competitive squad. We are not utilizing all 23 players. There is no doubt that I am a big fan of Trent and Jack Grealish," said Tuchel when asked about his decision not to call up Trent and Grealish, Friday (29/8/2025) evening WIB during a press conference around the Wembley Stadium area, London, England.

The free market system is utilized by Tuchel to foster rivalry among players. There are no longer any players guaranteed a call-up despite minimal contributions in the league. If they wish to be selected, they must perform well or, at the very least, secure sufficient playing time at their club.

With the limited time leading up to the World Cup, the German coach is urging his players to improve their performance in order to be selected as part of the England team for the 2026 World Cup.

This is what caused Trent to clearly not be on the radar to strengthen England. Other notable names not included by Tuchel are Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and Harry Maguire. Foden has only managed to play for 15 minutes this season. Meanwhile, Walker is considered not to be at his best level and is competing poorly against Reece James.

On the other hand, Maguire, who has had limited playing time in the English League, is considered to lack the quality that surpasses Enzri Konsa, Jhon Stones, and Marc Guehi. "Harry Maguire is not finished. At the moment, I believe the players we have chosen for Harry's position are slightly superior to him," said Tuchel.

Grealish was sidelined because Tuchel wanted a more competitive midfield with the presence of young players. Tuchel introduced two young midfielders, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton. Both performed solidly in the Premier League, earning their first call-up to the national team.

"We believe both deserve it. They played a crucial role in two very successful seasons at the club last year. Elliot is more like a number 8 player, while Adam is more like a number 6 player. Both deserve it. It is time for more competition for new players," said Tuchel.

The players selected this time are not guaranteed to return to the squad in the next international break. This means that Tuchel's lineup will continue to change until the definitive team is announced ahead of the World Cup next year. Tuchel's habit is somewhat different from Southgate, who tends to call back his key players to the national team even when they are not performing well with their clubs.

Tuchel's free market system is in operation, and fans will see the results in the coming months. For now, England is still on the right track towards the World Cup. The "Three Lions" won their first three qualifying matches, scoring six goals without conceding any.

That performance places them at the top of Group K with a total of nine points. Albania trails in second place with five points. Only the group winner is entitled to qualify directly for the World Cup.

England's 24-man squad:

Goalkeeper:

Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace).

Defender:

Reece James (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), John Stones (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham).

Midfielder:

Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Declan Rice (Arsenal).

Attacker:

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).