England conceded seven goals in its last two matches, and The Guardian emphasises that Tuchel needs to address the defence. England urgently needs to keep clean sheets to boost morale, but Tuchel's frequent rotation of the defence means a stable back line has yet to be established, which is far from ideal. Since Alexander-Arnold's last appearance for England, Tuchel has tried eight different right-backs, and the defence remains poor. Why not try Alexander-Arnold? It seems there is nothing to lose.

England's defence looked solid at the end of 2025, but this impression was misleading. The team successfully completed World Cup qualifying without conceding a single goal and kept a clean sheet in a friendly against Wales. However, this year, clean sheets have become increasingly difficult to achieve.

In 2026, England has played 13 matches and recorded only four clean sheets. Soon, Tuchel may have to reassess his approach: to manage this team effectively, he must accept uncertainty on the pitch.

Of course, advising Tuchel to fix the defence is ironic in itself. Isn't that exactly what everyone expected? In the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, England appeared lethargic and overly cautious.

Last Saturday, in the opening Nations League match, Tuchel's team narrowly lost 3-2 to Spain, but at least their tactical approach was proactive and the football fluid, despite lingering defensive flaws.

England took the initiative, taking the lead with a brilliant attacking sequence and putting Spain on the back foot, but unfortunately failed to maintain their advantage. Against a top team, they squandered their lead again. While this defeat was not solely due to defensive play, Tuchel still has many tactical issues to resolve before Tuesday's match against the Czech Republic in Prague.

This is the second of England's four matches during this international break. The team must win to have a realistic chance of reaching the quarter-finals in March. On Saturday, they travel to Rijeka to face Croatia, who are likely stronger than the Czech Republic – the Czech Republic failed to qualify from their World Cup group despite being considered the weaker opponent.

England urgently needs to keep clean sheets to restore confidence. Against Spain, the team's defence showed troubling fragility, with the opponent's expected goals from open play reaching 3.08. Before Anthony Gordon equalised Lamine Yamal's opening goal, England could have been down 4-0.

Consecutive wins in World Cup qualifying against Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia provide only limited reference value.

Since then, England's goal has been breached by Uruguay, Japan, Croatia, DR Congo, Mexico, Norway, Argentina, France and Spain. When they kept clean sheets in warm-up matches before the World Cup against New Zealand and Costa Rica, the team was not truly tested; keeping clean sheets against Ghana and Panama in the group stage also involved an element of luck.

The problem lies both in individual performances and the overall system. Spain's two goals resulted from England errors, with M. Guehi and O'Riley bearing the brunt. Pickford has shown inconsistent performances during the World Cup, and Ngoyo, as M. Guehi's defensive partner, has been erratic.

Tuchel favours an aggressive defence. In the last 13 matches, he has paired the more mobile Ngoyo with M. Guehi in central defence in seven of them.

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

However, there is a misconception that England excels when defending desperately. When playing with ten men against Mexico in the round of 16, the team fought valiantly, but when even-handed, in the Estadio Azteca match, England was constantly threatened by crosses, and the pressure eventually led to conceding goals. Against Argentina, England sat deep, and opponents repeatedly attacked from the flanks, with Messi delivering a cross for Lautaro Martínez to score the winning header. Under Southgate's watch, England conceded from crosses and set pieces in crucial knockout ties against Croatia, Italy and Spain.

Maguire, with his strong aerial ability, played in some of these matches. Now Tuchel no longer calls him up, seeking a more proactive approach than passive defending.

However, England's lack of midfield control creates defensive vulnerabilities in various scenarios: Uruguay won an equalising penalty from a long-range cross, Japan broke through midfield to score on a counter-attack, Mexico capitalised on a set-piece opportunity, Croatia and DR Congo caused problems with wing switches, and last Saturday, Spain broke through midfield to score the winning goal. It's easy to spot poorly positioned defenders, but it's crucial not to overlook that once Declan Rice is unavailable, England's midfield becomes an entirely different unit.

Without Rice's interceptions, his positional discipline and defensive cover, England's system struggles. Against Spain, there was an instance where Ngoyo left his defensive position to contest Unai Simón's distribution, an error that allowed Ferran Torres to surge into a massive gap in the defence. The danger was eventually averted by James Trafford's save, but the risk was extremely high. England attempted man-marking, but the centre-backs were frequently poorly positioned, with Jarell Quansah positioned 10 metres deeper than the right-back Riley on the opposite flank.

Some of the problems stem from inexperience. Riley and Quansah are naturally better suited to central defence positions, and both are still young. Individual player characteristics are also a factor. Southgate had an asset in his best years: Kyle Walker, whose remarkable recovery pace as a right-back allowed England to push boldly forward. Reece James is Tuchel's first choice, but he lacks Walker's durability. James suffered another injury and missed this training camp; he often plays in midfield for Chelsea, and the club believes the captain's fitness is not suited to the demands of a modern full-back.

Tuchel is forced to frequently rotate the defence, which is not an ideal situation. Southgate knew his most reliable back line: Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw. But Tuchel has been unable to settle on a stable back four.

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

Since giving Alexander-Arnold his last chance, Tuchel has tested eight different right-backs. He did not take the Real Madrid right-back to the World Cup, doubting his defensive capabilities. But the counter-argument is this: even without Alexander-Arnold, England's defence is hardly stable. What would there be to lose in trying to unlock his attacking creativity?

Traduit par IA.

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