Thomas Tuchel reportedly unimpressed by Kobbie Mainoo during World Cup training
Mainoo’s World Cup Absence and Training Concerns
England manager Thomas Tuchel was reportedly dissatisfied with Kobbie Mainoo’s performance during training sessions leading up to the World Cup group stage match against Ghana. The Manchester United midfielder had been considered for a role due to fitness concerns surrounding Declan Rice.
Despite making his way into Tuchel’s final squad for the tournament, Mainoo, who is 21 years old, did not feature in any of England’s matches. His inclusion followed a strong second half of the season at Old Trafford under interim manager Michael Carrick.
England’s World Cup campaign concluded with a semi-final defeat to Argentina. Mainoo remained on the bench for seven games throughout the tournament.
Calls for Boycott and Managerial Changes
Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has suggested that Mainoo should decline to play in England’s third-place decider against France. Butt argued that Mainoo has been consistently overlooked by Tuchel throughout the summer.
Butt expressed his confusion regarding Mainoo’s situation, stating, “I do not know what is going on there, there’s something not quite right with it.” He added that if he were Mainoo, he would refuse to play in what he termed a “nonsense game,” citing concerns about potential injury for the entire season in a match he considers a “pointless jumped-up friendly.”
Butt also called for the Football Association to dismiss Tuchel, suggesting that Newcastle manager Eddie Howe or USA chief Mauricio Pochettino would be more suitable replacements. He criticised Tuchel’s tactical approach in the semi-final against Argentina, describing it as “crazy negative football.”
Butt believes Tuchel cannot remain in his position after the team’s performance. He stated that Tuchel is an “unbelievable club manager” but suggested he might not want to stay with the national team. While mentioning Pep Guardiola as a potential future candidate, Butt noted that Guardiola recently stated he needed a rest from football.
Butt highlighted Howe as a “brilliant” option and spoke positively about Pochettino’s relationship with John McDermott, the FA’s technical director, from their time together at Tottenham. He observed that managers sometimes change their approach when moving into the England setup.
Other Transfer News and Squad Updates
In other football news, Marcus Rashford reportedly declined more financially beneficial offers than his current Manchester United contract, and his release clause, valued at £40m, has expired. Arsenal is reportedly interested in signing Cardiff City youngster Axel Donczew.
Nottingham Forest has intensified its pursuit of Fiorentina right-back Dodo. Newcastle has engaged in discussions with Brighton regarding a potential deal for goalkeeper Carl Rushworth. Tottenham continues to negotiate the final details for a transfer involving Manchester City winger Savinho.
Chelsea reportedly rejected two offers from Como for Trevoh Chalobah, with at least two other clubs also showing interest in the defender. In Scottish football, Lawrence Shankland was named captain for Rangers’ friendly match in Spain, and Callum Osmand plans to meet with Martin O’Neil to discuss his role at Celtic.
Meanwhile, Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez deleted a social media post that appeared to mock England after their semi-final victory. The post featured himself, Lionel Messi, and Leandro Paredes laughing, with the song “Wonderwall” as background music. Chelsea later removed a photograph of Fernandez from their social media pages due to negative reactions from English fans. William Saliba of Arsenal is not expected to play for France against England this weekend due to concerns he may require back surgery.
Some England players reportedly believe that the tactical adjustments made by Tuchel did not benefit the team during the match against Argentina. Lionel Messi reportedly criticised England’s tactics following Argentina’s victory, which eliminated Tuchel’s team from the World Cup.
Read Also
Source: skysports.com
Isla Hartley is a Sports Reporter at NewsUK. She covered the British summer of sport from Wimbledon to the Test grounds. She focuses on tennis, cricket and athletics and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. She holds a degree in Sports Studies from the University of Stirling and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Glasgow, she runs half-marathons and follows Scottish athletics. “The overlooked athlete usually has the better story.”
