Gary Neville has expressed serious concerns about Thomas Tuchel's right-back selections for England at the World Cup, describing the situation as 'turbulent' after the German coach opted to start centre-half Jarell Quansah in the position against Panama. The former Manchester United defender highlighted that Tuchel has now used 17 different starters in the tournament, exceeding his pre-tournament target of 14 or 15.
Neville's Five-Word Warning
Speaking on ITV Sport, Neville did not mince his words: 'Something has gone badly wrong.' The five-word response encapsulated his view that Quansah's deployment at right-back signals deeper issues within the squad. Neville, a former right-back himself, said: 'The one position I think I am pretty qualified to speak on is right back and if you had said to me a couple of months ago that Quansah would be playing right-back for England in a tournament, I would say something has gone badly wrong.'
Injury Crisis at Right-Back
England's right-back options have been decimated by injuries. Reece James is sidelined and will not return unless England reach the final stages, while Tino Livramento withdrew from the squad entirely. Tuchel responded by calling up Trevoh Chalobah—a centre-half—rather than a specialist right-back. Djed Spence remains the only dedicated right-back in the squad, but he has been used predominantly on the left by Tuchel and started on the bench against Panama.
Tuchel's Rotation Raises Eyebrows
With England already qualified for the round of 32, Tuchel made five changes for the Panama match, prioritising squad rotation. However, Neville doubts whether Quansah can be relied upon in the knockout stages. 'Quansah is not an option going into the games further into the tournament,' Neville said. 'He's picked Reece James and Livramento, players who are injury prone. He's not brought Trent Alexander-Arnold, who obviously is someone with world class quality, for what reasons we can only imagine.'
Keane Adds to Criticism
Roy Keane echoed Neville's concerns, warning that versatility is not enough in high-stakes knockout matches. 'When you start getting into knockout games, you don't want a jack of all trades. You need masters at these positions. That would be the worry going forward,' Keane said.
England are expected to win Group L and advance, but Neville's warning underscores the fragility of their right-back depth as the tournament progresses.
