England has conceded 7 goals in their last 2 matches, and The Guardian points out that Tuchel needs to fix the defence. The team desperately needs a clean sheet to lift spirits, but Tuchel's constant rotation of defenders has prevented him from establishing a stable back four. The current situation is far from ideal. Since Alexander-Arnold last played for England, Tuchel has tried 8 different right-backs, yet the defence remains poor. Why not try Alexander-Arnold? There seems to be nothing to lose.

At the end of 2025, England's defence appeared solid, but this assessment proved misleading. The team completed World Cup qualifying without conceding a goal and kept a clean sheet in a friendly against Wales. However, once 2026 began, maintaining clean sheets became increasingly difficult.

In 2026, England has played 13 matches but managed only 4 clean sheets. Going forward, Tuchel may need to reassess his approach: managing this team requires accepting defensive uncertainty on the pitch.

Of course, suggesting Tuchel fix the defence seems somewhat ironic. Isn't that precisely what everyone expects? In the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, England showed passivity and overly cautious defending.

In their opening UEFA Nations League match last Saturday, Tuchel's side lost narrowly to Spain 2-3, but at least their tactical approach was proactive and their play dynamic, despite numerous errors.

England attacked proactively, taking the lead through a sharp move that put Spain under pressure, but they couldn't maintain the advantage. Against a strong opponent, the team squandered their lead once again. While the defeat wasn't down to poor attacking, Tuchel still has tactical issues to resolve ahead of Tuesday's match against the Czech Republic in Prague.

This is England's second match in a four-game international break, and they need a win to have a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals in March. On Saturday, the team will travel to Rijeka to face Croatia, who are likely stronger than the Czech Republic—Czech Republic failed to advance from a relatively weak group in World Cup qualifying.

England desperately needs a clean sheet to restore confidence. In the match against Spain, the defence showed alarming fragility, with the expected goals from opponent's open-play chances reaching 3.08. Before Anthony Gordon equalized after Lamine Yamal's opening goal, England could easily have been down 4-0.

The successive wins during World Cup qualifying against Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia provided little meaningful insight.

Since then, England has conceded against Uruguay, Japan, Croatia, DR Congo, Mexico, Norway, Argentina, France and Spain. Clean sheets against New Zealand and Costa Rica in World Cup friendlies were not genuine tests, and the clean sheets against Ghana and Panama in the group stage had some fortune to them.

Problems exist both in individual performances and the overall system. Both of Spain's goals came from England errors, with Guehi and O'Reilly paying the price. Pickford's displays in World Cup have often been inconsistent, and Ngoyo, as Guehi's centre-back partner, has been erratic.

Tuchel wants a more aggressive defence. In 13 recent matches, he has selected the more dynamic Ngoyo to pair with Guehi at centre-back in 7 of them.

Alternative options like Jarrad Branthwaite, Chalobah and Levi Colwill lack experience in major tournaments. A suitable replacement for John Stones has yet to emerge. When Stones plays, England's defence sits deeper, but the 32-year-old veteran successfully contained Haaland in England's World Cup match against Norway, contributing to one of the team's few high-quality defensive performances.

However, there's a misconception that England excels defensively under pressure. When reduced to 10 men against Mexico in the last 16, the team fought hard, but with both sides at full strength in Mexico City, England was constantly threatened by crosses, and mounting pressure eventually led to conceding. Against Argentina, England sat deep and opponents attacked consistently from the wings, with Messi eventually crossing for Lautaro Martínez to head in the decisive goal. Under Southgate, England conceded from crosses and set-pieces in crucial knockout matches against Croatia, Italy and Spain.

Maguire, with his weak aerial ability, featured in several of these matches. Now Tuchel has stopped calling him up, seeking a more proactive style rather than passive defending.

However, England's lack of midfield control has left the defence vulnerable in numerous situations: Uruguay won a penalty from a long-range cross, Japan's counter-attack penetrated midfield to score, Mexico exploited a set-piece, Croatia and DR Congo created difficulties with wide switches, and last Saturday, Spain's decisive goal came through a penetrating pass through the defensive line. It's easy to spot defenders in wrong positions, but one cannot overlook that when Declan Rice is absent, England's midfield becomes a different team.

Without Rice's interception ability, positional discipline and shielding, England's system struggles to function. Against Spain, Ngoyo left his defensive position to challenge Unai Simón's clearance—an interception error that allowed Ferran Torres to quickly exploit a large gap in the defence, only avoided by James Trafford's crucial save, an extremely dangerous moment. England attempted man-marking but centre-backs frequently stood in wrong positions, with Jarell Quansah standing over 10 yards deeper than his partner O'Reilly on the opposite flank.

Some issues stem from inexperience. O'Reilly and Quansah are better suited to centre-back and are still young. Individual player characteristics also matter. Southgate had a trump card in his prime: Kyle Walker, whose extraordinary recovery pace at right-back allowed England to push forward in attack. Reece James is Tuchel's first choice, but he lacks Walker's durability. James has suffered another injury and missed this camp; he often plays midfield for Chelsea, and the club believes their captain's physique isn't suited to the demands of a modern full-back.

Tuchel is forced to rotate the defence constantly, and the situation is far from ideal. Southgate knew his most reliable defensive combination: Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw. But Tuchel has failed to establish a stable back four.

Newcastle's right-back Livramento withdrew from the camp last week. Stones, Jed Spence and Dan Burn are also absent. There have been significant changes to the defensive lineup. Before England fly to Prague on Monday, O'Reilly and Ngoyo have been training individually. Lewis Hall, with four England caps, could replace O'Reilly on the left. Alexander-Arnold is expected to feature, marking his first appearance for England since a brief cameo against Andorra in June 2025.

Since Alexander-Arnold last received an opportunity, Tuchel has assessed eight right-backs. He didn't take the Real Madrid right-back to the World Cup, doubting his defensive ability. But the counter-argument is: even without Alexander-Arnold, England's defence is unstable. What's to lose in unlocking his attacking creative potential?

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