Kane, Bellingham and Foden struggle to play together - does the manager have a point?

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

With six wins in six games, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has made the right selection choices.

However, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the identical lineup.

"Presently, if we stick with the system, they are unable to feature.
"They can but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not in this formation that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From automatic picks to contested places

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but the manager's choices imply that Marcus Rashford and Arsenal's winger are his preferred options on the wing positions respectively.

The question remains whether Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

Gareth Southgate certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane featured in every England's seven matches at last summer's tournament in Germany, where the national squad were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played together, England have triumphed 10 times, tied three matches and suffered three losses, registering 36 scores and letting in 14 strikes.

Analysis: Foden's versatility gives Tuchel options

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the primary attacking midfielder because of his impressive ball progression, shooting ability and capacity to penetrate the area when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring natural flank operators. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars play out wide weekly and can hold the ball well, engage in one-on-one situations, and enter the area to finish.

Supporting the attacking quartet, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a holding midfielder and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane expected to lead up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which in theory could permit both Bellingham and Foden to feature instead of Kane.

There is one way all three could feature together and Tuchel alluded to it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as 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 categorize him as the central midfielder, paired with a defensive anchor.

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

No matter whether Tuchel decides to set England up like this at the World Cup, what seems encouraging is his willingness to leave big players out in the interest of team harmony.

Susan Clarke
Susan Clarke

Elara is a city planner and writer passionate about sustainable urban development and community engagement.