Kane, Bellingham and Foden struggle to operate simultaneously - is Tuchel right?

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

After achieving six consecutive triumphs from six matches, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification confirmed with matches remaining, England manager Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has got all of his big qualifying decisions correct.

However, in the lead-up to Thursday's home game against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - struggle to perform in the same team.

"Currently, if we maintain the formation, they cannot play.
"They might but not within this system, not maintaining equilibrium that we established and not within the framework that comes also with wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

Foden and Bellingham have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wide areas respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane coexist in the lineup?

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 Southgate's side fell to the Spanish in the final.

In the 16 matches the stars have performed alongside each other, England have triumphed 10 times, drawn three and suffered three losses, netting 36 goals and allowing 14 goals.

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, strike quality and skill in entering the penalty area when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has spoken about preferring specialist wingers. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can retain the ball skillfully, challenge defenders, and appear in scoring positions.

Behind this front four, Tuchel plays with a midfield two consisting of one defensively strict player and a partner with attacking liberty to contribute to the attack.

What solutions exist for the trio?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the number nine, which in theory could allow both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

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

"At Manchester City, he operates similarly to a box-to-box or creative role, so perhaps in coming months we view him as a number eight," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the central midfielder, next to a more defensive number six.

This would then enable Bellingham to operate as the creative force and Kane as the center forward.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his willingness to leave big players out in the name of balance.

Lauren Hodges
Lauren Hodges

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience reviewing Dutch online casinos and advocating for responsible gambling practices.