England has conceded seven goals in its last two matches, and The Guardian suggests that Tuchel needs to improve the defence. England desperately 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 played for England, Tuchel has tried eight different right-backs, yet the defence remains poor. Why not give Alexander-Arnold a chance? There seems to be nothing to lose.

At the end of 2025, England's defence looked solid, but appearances were deceptive. The team successfully completed World Cup qualification without conceding and recorded a clean sheet in a friendly against Wales. However, entering 2026, clean sheets have become increasingly difficult to achieve.

In 2026, England has played 13 matches and kept only 4 clean sheets. It may soon be time for Tuchel to reconsider his approach: to manage this team, he must embrace uncertainty on the pitch.

Of course, advising Tuchel to improve the defence is somewhat ironic. Isn't that what everyone expects? In the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, England looked sluggish and overly defensive.

And in Saturday's UEFA Nations League opener, although Tuchel's team lost narrowly 3-2 to Spain, their approach was at least positive and their play flowed, despite the shortcomings.

England took the initiative and led with brilliant attacking play, pushing Spain to the brink. Unfortunately, they could not sustain their advantage. Against a top-tier team, they surrendered the lead again. Although the loss was not due to weak attacking play, Tuchel still has many tactical issues to resolve as they prepare for Tuesday night's match against Czech Republic in Prague.

This is the second of four matches England must play during this international break, and the team needs a win to have a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals in March. On Saturday, they will travel to Rijeka to face Croatia, who are likely to be stronger than Czech Republic – a team that failed to qualify from a relatively weak World Cup group.

England desperately needs a clean sheet to boost morale. In the match against Spain, the team's defence showed alarming vulnerabilities, with the opposition's expected goals from open play reaching 3.08. England could easily have been down 0-4 before Anthony Gordon equalized Lamine Yamal's opening goal.

Successive wins during World Cup qualifying against Albania, Andorra, Latvia, and Serbia offered limited reference value.

Since then, England has conceded to Uruguay, Japan, Croatia, DR Congo, Mexico, Norway, Argentina, France, and Spain. The clean sheets against New Zealand and Costa Rica in World Cup warm-up matches were not truly testing; keeping clean sheets against Ghana and Panama in the group stage also involved an element of luck.

The problem lies in individual performances and the system as a whole. Two of Spain's goals came from England's own mistakes, with Guéhi and O'Riley paying a heavy price. Pickford showed inconsistent form during the World Cup, and as Guéhi's centre-back partner, Ngoyo's performance has been unstable.

Tuchel wants an aggressive defensive line. In the last 13 matches, he has chosen the more mobile Ngoyo to partner with Guéhi in central defence in seven of them.

Alternatives such as Jarrad Branthwaite, Chalobah, and Levi Colwill lack experience in major tournaments. A suitable replacement for John Stones has yet to emerge. When Stones is the starter, England's defence is deeper overall, but the 32-year-old veteran managed to contain Haaland in the World Cup match against Norway, delivering one of the team's few quality defensive performances.

However, there is a misconception that England excels in desperate defensive situations. When playing with ten men against Mexico in the Round of 16, the team fought valiantly, but with the same number of players, in the match at Estadio Azteca, England was repeatedly threatened by crosses, and the pressure eventually led to a goal conceded. Against Argentina, England retreated, and the opposition repeatedly attacked from the flanks. Eventually, Messi delivered a cross, and Lautaro Martínez headed home the winning goal. During Southgate's tenure, England conceded from crosses and free kicks in crucial knockout matches against Croatia, Italy, and Spain.

Maguire, with his strong aerial ability, played in several of these matches. Now, Tuchel no longer calls him up, seeking a more proactive style rather than purely passive defence.

However, England's lack of midfield control makes the defence vulnerable in various situations: Uruguay gained a levelling penalty from a long-range cross, Japan broke through the midfield for a counter-attack goal, Mexico scored from a free kick, Croatia and DR Congo caused problems with wide switches, and on Saturday, Spain tore through the central defence for the winning goal. It is easy to see defenders out of position, but we cannot ignore that once Declan Rice is unavailable, England's midfield becomes an entirely different unit.

Without Rice's interceptions, positional discipline, and protection, England's system struggles to function. There was a moment against Spain when Ngoyo left his defensive position to challenge Unai Simón's sweep, and the interception failed. Ferran Torres quickly cut into a large gap in the defence, and it took a save from James Trafford to clear the danger – an extremely high-risk situation. England attempted man-to-man marking, but the centre-backs frequently moved out of position, and Jarell Quansah was positioned 10 yards deeper than the other fullback, O'Reilly.

Part of the problem stems from lack of experience. O'Reilly and Quansah are naturally more suited to centre-back positions and are still young. Individual player characteristics are also a factor. Southgate had a trump card in Kyle Walker, at the peak of his powers, whose exceptional recovery pace as a right-back allowed England to advance boldly. Reece James is Tuchel's first choice, but he lacks Walker's durability. James has suffered another injury and is absent from this training camp; he frequently plays in midfield for Chelsea, and the club believes his captain's physical condition does not meet the demands of the modern fullback role.

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

Newcastle United's right-back Tino Livramento withdrew from the training camp last week. Stones, Jayden Spence, and Dan Burn are also unavailable. There has been significant change in defensive personnel. Before England flies to Prague on Monday, O'Reilly and Ngoyo underwent individual recovery training. Lewis Hall, with 4 England caps, may replace O'Reilly on the left. Alexander-Arnold is expected to feature, marking his first appearance for England since a brief outing against Andorra in June 2025.

Since last giving Alexander-Arnold an opportunity, Tuchel has tried eight different right-backs. He did not take the Real Madrid right-back to the World Cup, doubting his defensive abilities. But the counterargument is: even without Alexander-Arnold, England's defence is not solid. What is there to lose in unleashing his attacking creativity?

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