Three Lions' top talents are unable to operate simultaneously - what's the verdict?

England football stars
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been essential components for England over the past five years

With six wins from six matches, zero goals allowed and a World Cup spot assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel can argue he has made the right selection choices.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he stated that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - cannot play in the equivalent formation.

"Presently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.
"It's possible but not with current tactics, not maintaining equilibrium that we developed and not in this formation that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that the Manchester United forward and the Gunners' star are his preferred options on the wide areas respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane play together?

Gareth Southgate apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane were selected for each England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the three have featured alongside each other, England have secured 10 victories, tied three matches and lost three, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has employed a four-two-three-one setup that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the number nine withdraws.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring dedicated wide players. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can retain the ball skillfully, engage in one-on-one situations, and appear in scoring positions.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to support offensive play.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with attacking alternatives for the attacking midfield position, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could play as the central striker, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is a potential solution all three could coexist effectively and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he plays almost like a central or attacking midfielder, so maybe during the next months we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been utilized as a flexible midfielder this season.

That has enabled him to operate from deeper areas and could make him an option as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the creative force and Kane as the center forward.

Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the international competition, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the interest of team harmony.

Craig Watson
Craig Watson

A seasoned travel writer and luxury lifestyle expert with over a decade of experience exploring opulent destinations and curating elite experiences.

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