Harry Brent has launched a blistering defence of Thomas Tuchel's right back selections for the World Cup, labelling critics who wanted Trent Alexander-Arnold included as 'delusional dweebs'. In his latest column, the senior sports writer also took aim at FIFA's new head-to-head tiebreaker rule and those who sought to diminish Lionel Messi's record-breaking achievement.
Tuchel's Right Back Choices Defended
Brent dismissed outrage over Tuchel's right back picks, noting that the manager's top four options — Reece James, Tino Livramento, Ben White and Jarrel Quansah — all suffered injuries within a month. 'That's not negligence, that's luck so rotten it stinks worse than Sam Allardyce's unwashed jockstrap,' he wrote.
He questioned who else Tuchel could have selected, ruling out Rico Lewis, James Justin and Kyle Walker. On Alexander-Arnold, Brent was scathing: 'He's a defender who actively loathes the concept of defending, treating every opposition attack like an optional Terms & Conditions box.' He added that Alexander-Arnold completed just 10 full 90-minute games for Real Madrid this season due to injuries and defensive frailties.
FIFA's Head-to-Head Rule Slammed
Brent criticised FIFA's decision to replace goal difference with head-to-head results to decide World Cup groups, calling it 'unnecessarily brain-dead'. He argued that the change turned final round group games into 'tedious, pre-decided dead rubbers' instead of dramatic matches where teams chase goal swings.
'Goal difference was perfect. It actively rewarded attacking football and stopped teams from playing for a bore draw,' he wrote, comparing the new rule to 'Simon Cowell's plastic surgeon' fixing things that aren't broken.
Messi's Record and Women's Football
Brent also targeted those who argued that Marta's 17 Women's World Cup goals mean Messi hasn't truly broken the all-time record. He said this 'tedious, patronising lecturing' is why many fans ignore the women's game. 'Pretending there's no difference between the men's and women's games isn't progressive — it's as detached from reality as the belief that Steven Gerrard is an elite manager,' he wrote.
He urged promoting women's football on its own merits rather than 'cramming it down our throats' or pitting it against the men's game, warning that forcing comparisons will 'lose every single time'.
