Tuchel responds to Alexander-Arnold’s social media reaction
Thomas Tuchel has described Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defiant social media response to his England squad omission as “fair enough,” speaking ahead of the Three Lions’ friendly against Uruguay at Wembley tonight, reports BritPanorama.
The former Liverpool defender was left out of the 35-man squad for the current international break, prompting him to post “Madrid. Y nada mas” — meaning “Madrid. And nothing else” — on Instagram.
When asked about the message by ITV, the England manager showed understanding for the full-back’s position. “As a response to being not nominated? Well, fair enough, fair enough,” Tuchel said. “I think it is a very hard decision that we took.”
Tuchel explained that his tactical approach had evolved during Alexander-Arnold’s absence from the squad in the autumn months. “We created a slightly different game model when he was not in camp in September, October, November – it was a game model that was built on intensity and positivity, built even on the profile of the right full back on overlaps, underlaps, very intense,” he said.
The England boss emphasised that the players who attended those camps had impressed sufficiently to retain their places. Tuchel has opted for Tino Livramento and Djed Spence at right-back, while Jarell Quansah was also named in the original selection. Following Quansah’s withdrawal due to injury, Ben White received a recall to the squad, but Reece James remains sidelined due to his own injury problems.
Tuchel conceded that Alexander-Arnold perhaps merited another opportunity, having been part of the squad in June. “He was with us in June, he should have maybe deserved a second chance,” the manager acknowledged. “I know it creates noise when you leave a player like Trent out.”
Alexander-Arnold’s circumstances at Real Madrid have improved following a turbulent initial period at the club. The appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa, promoted from the third division reserve team in January after Xabi Alonso’s departure, has brought greater stability, with reports indicating the new manager rates the Englishman highly despite limited increases in match time.
Tuchel confirmed Alexander-Arnold remains under consideration for the World Cup in North America, pledging to attend Real Madrid fixtures, potentially including a Champions League match, to assess him before finalising his selection.
As the Three Lions prepare for tonight’s match against Uruguay (7.45pm), the lingering question remains: how can such talent, still so young, be seen as expendable on the international stage? It underscores the delicate balance between youth potential and seasoned choice in the high-stakes environment of international football.
