England has conceded seven goals in their last two matches, and The Guardian points out that Tuchel must address the defense. England urgently needs a clean sheet to boost morale, but Tuchel's frequent rotation of the defensive line has prevented him from establishing a stable back four. The situation is far from ideal. Since Alexander-Arnold last featured for England, Tuchel has tried 8 different right-backs, yet the defense remains poor. So why not try Alexander-Arnold? It seems there would be nothing to lose.

At the end of 2025, England's defense appeared solid, but this impression was misleading. The team completed their World Cup qualifiers without conceding a single goal and kept a clean sheet in a friendly against Wales. However, since the start of 2026, clean sheets have become increasingly elusive.

In 2026, England have played 13 matches and recorded only 4 clean sheets. It won't be long before Tuchel may have to reconsider his approach: to manage this team, he must accept the uncertainties that come with defending.

Of course, advising Tuchel to fix the defense is somewhat ironic. Isn't this exactly what everyone expected? In the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, England's performance was laboured and overly cautious.

In Saturday's Nations League opener, Tuchel's team narrowly lost 3-2 to Spain, but at least their approach was aggressive and their play was fluid, despite defensive lapses.

England took the initiative and, with a brilliant attacking display, took the lead, pushing Spain to the brink. Unfortunately, they could not maintain their advantage. Against a top team, the squad once again squandered their lead. Although this defeat was not primarily down to defensive tactics, Tuchel still has many tactical issues to resolve as they prepare for Tuesday's match against the Czech Republic in Prague.

This is the second of England's four matches in this international break, and the team needs a victory to have a realistic chance of advancing to the quarter-finals in March. On Saturday, the team will travel to Rijeka to face Croatia, who are likely to prove stronger opponents than the Czech Republic—who failed to qualify from their World Cup group despite being considered outsiders.

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

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

Since then, England has conceded goals to Uruguay, Japan, Croatia, DR Congo, Mexico, Norway, Argentina, France, and Spain. Clean sheets in World Cup warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica did not truly test the team; holding Ghana and Panama scoreless in the group stage also involved some fortune.

The problems exist both at individual and systemic levels. Both of Spain's goals stemmed from England's own errors, with Guehi and O'Reilly making costly mistakes. Pickford had inconsistent performances during the World Cup, while Ngoyo, Guehi's central defensive partner, has been unreliable.

Tuchel favours an aggressive defensive approach. In the last 13 matches, he has paired the more mobile Ngoyo with Guehi as centre-backs in seven games.

Alternatives such as Jarrad Branthwaite, Chalobah, and Levi Colwill lack major tournament experience. A suitable long-term replacement for John Stones has yet to emerge. When Stones plays, England's defense typically sits deeper, and the 32-year-old veteran contained Haaland in a World Cup qualifier against Norway, delivering one of the team's better defensive displays.

However, there's a misconception that England excels at desperate defending. When playing with ten men against Mexico in the round of 16, the team fought hard, but even at full strength at the Azteca Stadium, England was repeatedly exposed by opponent crosses, and the pressure eventually led to conceding goals. Against Argentina, England retreated, and the opponents repeatedly attacked down the wings, eventually leading to Messi's cross and Lautaro Martínez's header for the winning goal. Under Southgate, England conceded goals from crosses and set pieces in crucial knockout matches against Croatia, Italy, and Spain.

Maguire, with his strong aerial prowess, played in some of these matches. Now Tuchel no longer selects him, preferring a more proactive style over purely passive defending.

However, England's lack of midfield control leaves the defense exposed in various ways: Uruguay scored from a long-range cross, Japan broke through the midfield for a counter-attack, Mexico scored from a set piece, Croatia and DR Congo exploited wide areas, and Spain broke through the middle for the winning goal. While it is easy to spot defenders out of position, one cannot ignore that when Declan Rice is unavailable, England's midfield becomes a completely different proposition.

Without Rice's interceptions, positional discipline, and covering ability, England's system falters. In the Spain match, there was a moment when Ngoyo left his position to challenge Unai Simón's clearance and made an error. Ferran Torres quickly exploited a gaping hole in the defence, and it took a save from James Trafford to prevent a disaster. England attempted man-marking, but the centre-backs were repeatedly out of position, with Jarell Quansah positioned 10 yards deeper than Riley on the opposite flank.

Part of the problem stems from inexperience. Riley and Quansah are better suited to centre-back roles and are both young. Individual player characteristics also play a role. Southgate had a trump card in Kyle Walker during his prime; the right-back's exceptional recovery pace allowed England to attack boldly. Reece James is Tuchel's preferred choice, but he lacks Walker's resilience. James is injured and missed this training camp; he often operates in midfield for Chelsea, and the club believes the captain is not physically equipped for the demands of modern full-back play.

Tuchel is forced to frequently rotate his defence, and the situation is far from satisfactory. Southgate had his most reliable defensive partnership: Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw. But Tuchel has failed to establish a stable back four.

Newcastle right-back Tino Livramento withdrew from the training camp last week. Stones, Jayden Spence, and Dan Burn are also unavailable. The defensive setup has undergone significant changes. Before England flew to Prague on Monday, Riley and Ngoyo underwent individual recovery sessions. Lewis Hall, with four England caps, could deputise for O'Reilly on the left. Alexander-Arnold is expected to feature, making his first appearance for England since a brief appearance against Andorra in June 2025.

Since Alexander-Arnold last received an opportunity, Tuchel has evaluated eight right-backs. He did not take the Real Madrid right-back to the World Cup, questioning his defensive credentials. Yet a counter-argument exists: even without Alexander-Arnold, England's defence is not solid. What would be lost by attempting to harness his attacking prowess?

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