England head coach Tuchel held a press conference after announcing the squad for the November international break. This is the second part of that press conference.
Related reading
【Tuchel: No Palmer call-up? We have enough No. 10s; Jobe earned his chance on merit】
【Tuchel: Ngumoha is an option on both flanks; fringe players know their situation】
【Tuchel: We must forget the 7-0 thrashing of Croatia; they almost beat Spain】
I don't want to dwell too much on Cole Palmer, but after a turbulent season with two interim managers, Morgan Rogers is performing very strongly right now. When you see him put that difficult season and his omission from the national team behind him, do you expect him to return to the England camp in the future?
Yes, the door is always open, but nothing has changed for now. We decided to go into this camp without him.
Hi, Thomas, I'd like to ask a question about the right-wing attacking position, because Bukayo Saka is injured...
Yes.
Noni Madueke was also not selected. During your tenure, they have been the two players who have played the most minutes on the right wing. With the current squad, who do you think will occupy that position?
I think Morgan Rogers can do it, and Rio Ngumoha can also play there. He has played for Liverpool and performed well in the last camp. I think Josh King might also be able to play in that position, and we will try that; Morgan Gibbs-White has also played on the wing. We need players there who are good at running in behind, who can sprint forward and cut through defenses. So I think we have options.
It was a very difficult and delicate decision not to call up Noni, because he has been getting playing time at Arsenal since Bukayo was injured and has scored some goals recently. It was really close, but in that position we are sticking with the players we have and showing them our trust.
Returning to Jobe Bellingham, many England fans may not have seen much of him, as he has never played in the Premier League. He was previously at Birmingham and Sunderland in the Championship, and is now at Borussia Dortmund. It's obviously hard not to compare him to his brother. How would you describe him as a player in terms of his individual qualities? What role do you think he is best suited for in the England team?
We see him as a midfielder, less attack-minded than Jude. Overall, I think having both brothers called up to the national team is a fantastic achievement for the family, and an incredible story in itself. As I said, I was happy to make that call to him, and I could feel his excitement immediately; you could hear it in his voice. He has a very cheerful and calm personality, so it was obviously a very pleasant call, because it was such good news.
As I just said, we see him as a midfielder, and he is one of the five midfielders we currently have. Compared to his brother Jude, he is a more defensive player: good on the ball, physically strong and tall. He is very physical and good at retaining possession.
Now it's up to him. We basically only have Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for Thursday's game, and that is one of the main reasons we kept the original squad: we have developed some new tactical systems and built some new team habits, and it would be very, very difficult to learn all of that in two days. So it is up to him now, but he is clearly very excited, happy and eager to show what he can do, which is the best foundation for a good training camp.
Hi Thomas, before the last camp, you said you were eager to give Kobbie Mainoo some playing time, but he obviously had to withdraw. So what was the thinking behind choosing Jobe? We've heard about Jobe's qualities, but why didn't Kobbie get another chance this time?
I think Kobbie has had a difficult time at his club recently, missing a lot of games. In the same period, Jobe has made a deep impression, which is exactly what we want to see. The door is always open for young players to overtake others or make their mark, so this perfectly reflects the fierce competition in midfield.
Regarding Ben White's return to the national team, he had a rather turbulent experience when he came back in March this year. I think he scored, but he also gave away a penalty and even received some boos from England fans. Are you concerned about how England fans will view him and his commitment to this England team?
We weren't happy about that at the time. We can certainly understand the fans' disappointment because of what happened before, but I think everyone has had their say, and it should be a closed chapter. Everyone can also see Ben's commitment and ability, and how he performed in the March camp. He played very well and scored a goal for us, but then we conceded and his foul led to a penalty, so it was certainly an eventful night for him. It's not easy to return to the team, and every time I talk to him, I feel his desire and excitement to come back. He missed the last camp. He is an outstanding core player for Arsenal, and in that position we have more or less been dealing with injury concerns and frequent changes.
With Trevor Chalobah not in the camp, Jarell Quansah might split his time between full-back and center-back, and that gives Ben another chance to prove himself. Every time I watch Arsenal play, I see a very strong Ben White in that position. That's why I think he deserves to start a new chapter, and I think he deserves a positive response from the fans. He is one of our players, and we want every player to be supported. That is the biggest help for the team, and I think we are now ready to write a new chapter with him.