England conceded 7 goals across their last two matches, and The Guardian highlights that Thomas Tuchel needs to fix England's defence. England urgently need a clean sheet to boost morale, but Tuchel's constant rotation of defenders has prevented him from building a stable back four. The situation remains far from ideal since Trent Alexander-Arnold last played for England. Tuchel has tried as many as 8 right-backs, yet the defence has not improved. So why not give Trent Alexander-Arnold a chance? It seems there's nothing left to lose.

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England's back line appeared strong in late 2025, but this was deceptive. The team performed well in World Cup qualifying without conceding and kept a clean sheet in a friendly against Wales. However, keeping clean sheets has become increasingly difficult this year.

In 2026, England have played 13 matches and kept just 4 clean sheets. Soon, Thomas Tuchel may need to reassess his approach: managing this team requires accepting on-field uncertainty.

Of course, suggestions that Tuchel overhaul the defence seem contradictory. Wasn't this unexpected? In the World Cup final against Argentina, England looked sluggish and overly conservative.

However, in their UEFA Nations League opener on Saturday, despite losing narrowly to Spain 3-2, Tuchel's tactical approach showed at least some eagerness, and the play was fluid, despite persisting flaws.

England started well, creating chances through impressive attacking play that nearly overwhelmed Spain. Unfortunately, they couldn't maintain their lead. Against elite opposition, they surrendered their advantage again. While this defeat wasn't born from defensive timidity, Tuchel still faces numerous tactical issues to resolve before Tuesday's match against the Czech Republic.

This is England's second of four Nations League matches. They need a win to ensure a good chance of reaching the semi-finals in March. On Saturday, they travel to Rijeka to face Croatia, a stronger opponent than the Czech Republic, who failed to qualify from their World Cup group despite being considered vulnerable.

England desperately need a clean sheet to restore confidence. Against Spain, their defence displayed alarming weaknesses. Spain's expected goals (xG) from structured play reached 3.08 before Antony Gordon equalized Lamine Yamal's opening goal. England could easily have been down 4-0.

Consecutive victories in World Cup qualifying against Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia provided limited insight.

Since then, England have conceded to Uruguay, Japan, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Norway, Argentina, France and Spain. Clean sheets in World Cup warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica didn't genuinely test the team. Defensive solidity in group matches against Ghana and Panama relied partly on luck.

The problems stem from both individual form and the overall system. Spain's two goals resulted from England's own errors, with M. Guehi and O'Reilly at fault. Pickford has shown inconsistent form throughout the World Cup campaign, and Ezri Konsa, Guehi's centre-back partner, has been unreliable.

Tuchel wants a resilient defence. In 7 of the last 13 matches, he has paired the more mobile Ezri Konsa alongside M. Guehi at centre-back.

Other options like Jarrad Branthwaite, Saloball and Levi Colwill lack experience in major tournaments. There's no adequate replacement for John Stones. When Stones plays, England's defence often sits deeper, and this 32-year-old effectively contained Haaland in a World Cup match against Norway—one of few instances when England's defence performed well.

However, there's a misconception that England excel at defensive shape when facing adversity. Playing with 10 men against Mexico in the Round of 16, they fought bravely, but with equal numbers at Estadio Azteca, England were repeatedly threatened by crosses and eventually conceded under pressure. Against Argentina, England retreated deep, and their opponents repeatedly attacked down the flanks, with Messi providing the assist for Lautaro Martínez's winning goal. Under Southgate, England conceded from crosses and set-pieces in crucial knockout matches against Croatia, Italy and Spain.

H. Maguire, who excels aerially, featured in some of these matches. Now Tuchel has excluded him from the squad, opting for a more attacking style rather than purely defensive setup.

However, England's midfield control deficit makes the defence vulnerable in various situations: Uruguay scored from a long-range cross penalty, Japan broke through midfield on the counter, Mexico exploited set-pieces, Croatia and the Democratic Republic of Congo created problems through wide transitions, and on Saturday, Spain pierced the centre to score. It's easy to blame defensive positioning, but it's undeniable that England's midfield is a different unit without Declan Rice.

Without Rice's ball-winning, positional discipline and defensive cover, England's system struggles. The match against Spain illustrated this: Ezri Konsa left his defensive position to intercept an Unai Simón long kick but mistimed the interception, and Ferran Torres exploited a huge gap in the defence. James Trafford's save prevented a dangerous situation. England attempted man-marking but centre-backs were repeatedly beaten, and Jarrell Quansah stood 10 yards deeper than Reece Riley, the other full-back.

Some problems stem from inexperience. Both Riley and Quansah are naturally suited to centre-back but are young. Individual player attributes matter too. Southgate had Kyle Walker in his prime, whose exceptional recovery pace at right-back allowed England to attack boldly. Reece James is Tuchel's preferred option but lacks Walker's durability. James suffered another injury and didn't participate in this training camp. He often plays midfield for Chelsea, and the club believes their captain's body isn't suited to modern full-back demands.

Tuchel is forced to constantly rotate defenders, and the situation remains far from ideal. Southgate knew his most reliable back-line partnerships were: Walker, Stones, H. Maguire and Shaw. But Tuchel cannot find a stable four.

Newcastle United's left-back Livramento withdrew from training last week. Stones, Jaden Sancho and Dan Burn are also unavailable. There's been significant defensive turnover. Before England flew out on Monday, Riley and Ezri Konsa underwent individual recovery sessions. Lewis Hall, who has earned 4 England caps, can replace O'Reilly at left-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to feature, marking his first England appearance since a brief outing against Andorra in June 2025.

Since Trent Alexander-Arnold's last opportunity, Tuchel has assessed eight right-backs. He didn't take Real Madrid's right-back to the World Cup, lacking confidence in his defensive abilities. Yet the argument stands: even without Trent Alexander-Arnold, England's defence hasn't strengthened. What's to lose by unleashing his attacking creativity?

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