England\u2019s World Cup has ended in a familiar feeling of crushing disappointment as Thomas Tuchel comes in for a battering, we\u2019ve ranked every member of the 26-man squad.<\/p>\n
As England succumbed to Lionel Messi\u2019s Argentina, their World Cup dream died for another four years which gives us all an opportunity to tell Tuchel where exactly he went wrong with his squad selection.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s his 26-man team ranked from the worst to the best.<\/p>\n
26) Jordan Henderson<\/p>\n
An absolute waste of a pick. If Henderson is indispensable in the dressing room, take him as an extra coach and not one of the 26 valuable spots.<\/p>\n
So many players could have had a more significant influence on the pitch and the most memorable thing Henderson did this tournament was break his wrist after falling over an advertising board. What an unc.<\/p>\n
MORE ON ENGLAND ON F365<\/p>\n
* 16 Conclusions on England 1-2 Argentina: Tuchel sack, \u2018no regrets\u2019 and a Southgate World Cup semi exit<\/a> 25) Trevoh Chalobah<\/p>\n Good job Tuchel took Chalobah and not Trent Alexander-Arnold as England really benefited from the *checks notes* zero minutes Chalobah played.<\/p>\n The pre-tournament injury to Tino Livramento was the perfect chance for Tuchel to call up Alexander-Arnold, who may well be the best English passer in the game and yet he went for a player he did not even use. Pointless.<\/p>\n 24) Kobbie Mainoo<\/p>\n Thankfully England were never in a situation where their midfield was getting overrun and some fresh legs would have really helped so Mainoo was not needed.<\/p>\n Wait, what\u2019s that? That\u2019s exactly how England went out? Oh yes that\u2019s right. Good job the team didn\u2019t have a young energetic midfielder just sitting on the bench then.<\/p>\n =22) Dean Henderson and James Trafford<\/p>\n Back-up goalies who did not feature.<\/p>\n 21) Jarell Quansah<\/p>\n After putting in a decent performance against Panama, Quansah decided to go rogue and clatter into Mexico\u2019s Jesus Gallardo.<\/p>\n The more you watch it, the more bizarre the challenge looks. For a start, Gallardo is well over by the touchline and there is just one Mexico player for him to find with a pass\u2026and that same player is covered by two England shirts.<\/p>\n Also, Quansah would easily get to the ball if he just stays on his feet and instead he goes flying over the top of it, misses it by a mile and buries his studs into Gallardo\u2019s shin. Stupid.<\/p>\n 20) Ivan Toney<\/p>\n Ivan Toney was supposedly brought for his penalty ability and yet England never got to a shoot-out, making his presence feel all rather pointless.<\/p>\n He should have been brought on against Ghana and finally was against Argentina at a time when the game was all but lost.<\/p>\n 19) Ollie Watkins<\/p>\n Played just six minutes against Panama. The truth is that England were never convincing enough to give Harry Kane a rest.<\/p>\n 18) Declan Rice<\/p>\n Rice looked absolutely knackered even before he picked up an illness that had him bed-bound for three days.<\/p>\n He has played an awful lot of football and looks exactly like someone who has played an awful lot of football.<\/p>\n Rice was largely ineffective and nowhere near the level of his performances for Arsenal towards the start of the season. He could do with a long break but he is a little over 30 days before the new Premier League season gets underway.<\/p>\n 17) Noni Madueke<\/p>\n Was an absolute black hole on England\u2019s right and the place where attacks go to die.<\/p>\n His 45 minutes against Norway were a frustrating watch as he wasted opportunity after opportunity and he was hooked at half time.<\/p>\n 16) Eberechi Eze<\/p>\n Largely absent, Eze only started one game and did not make much of an impact in that one.<\/p>\n He leaves the tournament with zero goals and zero assists.<\/p>\n 15) Ezri Konsa<\/p>\n Konsa will come to symbolise the moment it all went wrong for England as Tuchel\u2019s decision to bring him on and switch to a back five against Argentina was the beginning of the end.<\/p>\n It resulted in what is naturally a centre-back having to take long throws and try to get crosses in during the dying moments of a match.<\/p>\n But the truth is that he had not been much cop as a centre-back for much of the tournament.<\/p>\n 14) Reece James<\/p>\n Who could have foreseen that an injury-prone player would pick up an injury in a tournament that requires you to play every couple of days?<\/p>\n James\u2019 injury problems left England exposed against Mexico and his replacement duly got himself sent off.<\/p>\n The Chelsea man returned for the semi-final but picked up another injury at a time when England needed him.<\/p>\n 13) Marcus Rashford<\/p>\n Rashford looked far more effective coming off the bench and scored his only goal in an 18-minute cameo against Croatia.<\/p>\n Was not selected for the crucial games and played just one minute against Argentina.<\/p>\n 12) Dan Burn<\/p>\n Consigned to meme status, Burn\u2019s presence in the World Cup was confined to late appearances when England were attempting to hold onto a lead. It worked against Mexico.<\/p>\n He was asked to repeat the trick against Argentina but could not help a five-man defence keep Messi and co. out.<\/p>\n 11) Morgan Rogers<\/p>\n Bellingham\u2019s performances meant Rogers was never likely to get his preferred spot in the team but he looked good against Argentina from his unnatural right side.<\/p>\n Tuchel said it was a gut feeling to pick him there and the German coach may wish he had tested it earlier given how the right wing looked England\u2019s weakest area.<\/p>\n 10) Bukayo Saka<\/p>\n Saka got three assists and yet it still felt like something of an underwhelming tournament for him.<\/p>\n Just one of those assists came in the knockouts and he was strangely absent against Argentina.<\/p>\n There are lingering fitness questions around him and he may now take the time to properly resolve them.<\/p>\n MORE ON ENGLAND ON F365<\/p>\n * 16 Conclusions on England 1-2 Argentina: Tuchel sack, \u2018no regrets\u2019 and a Southgate World Cup semi exit<\/a> 9) Anthony Gordon<\/p>\n Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe s**t. Gordon\u2019s World Cup performances were a real yin and yang.<\/p>\n He was poor against Costa Rica and Ghana but excellent in a 29-minute cameo against DR Congo. He was very good against Norway and scored England\u2019s goal against Argentina.<\/p>\n A decent showing from the new Barcelona man.<\/p>\n 8) John Stones<\/p>\n Started the opening game but was then strangely absent for the next two and only returned with a minute against DR Congo.<\/p>\n When he was on the pitch, he looked like England\u2019s most assured defender but was at fault for the Lautaro Martinez winner as he did not track him.<\/p>\n 7) Djed Spence<\/p>\n The inclusion of Spence saw a lot of raised eyebrows but the Tottenham man justified his place in the team.<\/p>\n His best game actually came against Argentina despite the scoreline with an excellent tackle inside his own box being the most memorable highlight.<\/p>\n MORE ON ENGLAND ON F365<\/p>\n * 16 Conclusions on England 1-2 Argentina: Tuchel sack, \u2018no regrets\u2019 and a Southgate World Cup semi exit<\/a> 6) Nico O\u2019Reilly<\/p>\n A strong showing in O\u2019Reilly\u2019s tournament debut. He was England\u2019s best left-back throughout the World Cup, which makes Tuchel\u2019s decision to drop him for the semi-final all the more strange.<\/p>\n O\u2019Reilly has the pace needed to give England an outlet, especially when playing a back five, but when he did come on it was as a midfielder.<\/p>\n 5) Jordan Pickford<\/p>\n Had a slightly dodgy game against Norway but other than that, was reliable between the sticks for England again.<\/p>\n Critics may say he could have done more with Enzo Fernandez\u2019s equaliser but when England are inviting long shot after long shot, one was bound to get past Pickford eventually.<\/p>\n Overall, no one will blame the keeper for another England exit.<\/p>\n 4) Marc Guehi<\/p>\n The pick of England\u2019s centre backs. Having played just three minutes of England\u2019s opener against Croatia, Guehi did not miss a minute for the rest of the tournament and was consistently very good.<\/p>\n There was little he could do to stop Argentina with England\u2019s tactics inviting so much pressure.<\/p>\n 3) Elliot Anderson<\/p>\n With Rice struggling, England relied a lot on Anderson and he delivered.<\/p>\n He was in the top three England players for decisive contributions per 90, tackles per 90, interceptions per 90 and recoveries per 90 and only Harry Kane played more outfield minutes than Anderson.<\/p>\n He\u2019s only 23 and the \u00a3120m City paid for him may prove to be well worth it.<\/p>\n 2) Harry Kane<\/p>\n He scored six goals, the joint record for an Englishman at a World Cup, but could there still be an argument he did not perform when it really mattered?<\/p>\n His last goal of the tournament came in the 60th minute against Mexico via the penalty spot and he was anonymous against Norway and Argentina.<\/p>\n Still, clearly England\u2019s second-best player of the tournament as a whole.<\/p>\n 1) Jude Bellingham<\/p>\n Even without lifting the trophy, it was a generational performance from Bellingham, who is the man for the big occasion time and time again.<\/p>\n Pre-tournament suggestions that Rogers should start over him seem ludicrous now as he delivered when his country needed him against Norway, Mexico and Panama.<\/p>\n He was less effective against Argentina, not helped by Tuchel putting him out wide when England went ahead, but overall, he was the leader and star player of the team.<\/p>\n
* \u2018Coward\u2019 Tuchel should face England sack for that one substitution alone<\/a>
* England player ratings vs Argentina as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice flop but Djed Spence sparkles<\/a><\/p>\n
* \u2018Coward\u2019 Tuchel should face England sack for that one substitution alone<\/a>
* England player ratings vs Argentina as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice flop but Djed Spence sparkles<\/a><\/p>\n
* \u2018Coward\u2019 Tuchel should face England sack for that one substitution alone<\/a>
* England player ratings vs Argentina as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice flop but Djed Spence sparkles<\/a><\/p>\n