Thomas Tuchel to borrow from rugby as England coach experiments with substitution tactic ahead of World Cup

England's selection debates are intensifying, with Jude Bellingham's controversial benching against Serbia highlighting the manager's ruthless streak. The abundance of elite talent, particularly in attacking midfield with Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze also vying for a spot, creates a logistical nightmare. Tuchel has been vocal about his strategy, suggesting not all star players, including Foden, Bellingham, and Harry Kane, can be accommodated simultaneously. This leaves players like Ollie Watkins on the fringe, while Tuchel prioritises tactical balance over individual star power. As the World Cup nears, his bold, performance-first approach promises more tough choices and heated headlines.

But he might be able to keep more of his stars happy during the tournament in North America by stealing the "Pom Squad" tactic, favoured by England rugby head coach Steve Borthwick. The "Pom Squad" is a recent development, used to describe a specific tactical approach by the men's rugby team and a "Pom" is a slang term used mainly in Australia and New Zealand to describe someone of British descent. Taking inspiration from South Africa's "Bomb Squad," the phrase referred to England's strategy of stacking their replacement bench with forwards to unleash powerful, fresh players late in the game. This has been a notable talking point in the build-up to recent Autumn Internationals, and could now become a hot topic for Tuchel at next year's World Cup.

Tuchel said: "We need a good bench, we play in 40 degrees and we will play after a long, long season, we are maybe the nation that suffers the most from international football, from long seasons, from two cups, from cup finals, from semi-finals. 100 per cent we need to be ready to do substitutions until hopefully the late stages of the World Cup. Once we go to a tournament, I think clarity in the role is very important. The better player can also think about it and be honest: 'Can I accept this, is it good for me, can I make the most of this for the team?'"

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The German boss added: "They come with England because they are regularly picked, they come because they are captains and key players in their club team. Then I tell my squad and 10 of them have to sit on the bench but you see already I normally pick only 21 of 23 because I just hate this talk to give yesterday Alex Scott the message 'you are not in the squad.' I don’t like it, I have stomach pain and even to see players on the bench, they will never like it but I strongly believe they will accept it. We need to have the roles clear. Once we go to a tournament - what is your role? I think in a ten day camp it is easy. Sometimes you are picked, sometimes you are not picked or you are the competition for someone who at the moment maybe has his nose ahead and he starts regularly. I think that is normal."

England play their final World Cup qualifier on Sunday evening against Albania in Tirana, having already qualified for the tournament. And Tuchel will not have to announce his final squad until May 2026. While he names squads for qualifiers and other international matches throughout the year, the official list for the World Cup is still several months away. Tuchel has previously stated that "anything can happen" until the final announcement, keeping the door open for fringe players.

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