Tuchel's England Right-Back Crisis: A Managerial Failure

England manager Thomas Tuchel faces a self-inflicted right-back crisis ahead of the World Cup last-16 clash with Mexico. Former defender Jamie Carragher has criticized Tuchel's squad selection as a bizarre failure of resource management, arguing that the coach's initial planning and subsequent call-ups have left the team dangerously short in a key position.

With Reece James and Jarell Quansah major injury doubts for Monday's match at the Azteca, Tuchel's options are dwindling. Djed Spence failed to impress in the last-32 win over DR Congo, forcing Declan Rice to finish the game out of position. For Carragher, this looming crisis is not bad luck, but the entirely predictable result of poor decision making at the top.

What is England's right-back problem at the World Cup?

The root of the issue lies in Tuchel's original squad selection. Much like a centralized planner who ignores market realities, Tuchel allocated vital resources to high-risk assets. He selected two notoriously injury-prone players for the right-back position. When the inevitable injuries occurred, his response only compounded the error.

Carragher did not mince words when assessing the situation to Sky Sports News.