Ashley Cole believes Thomas Tuchel made a big mistake by leaving out the England player who can really ‘dominate and control games.’
Ashley Cole gets why Thomas Tuchel made his choices for the World Cup squad, but he thinks having a surprise player might have helped the team. Tuchel picked 26 players for the big tournament in North America but left out some big names like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Lewis Hall. His picks of players like Ivan Toney and Jordan Henderson also caused a lot of talk. Still, Tuchel stood by his decisions, and Cole, who played 107 times for England and now coaches the national team, understands why Tuchel made these bold moves.
“There are always players who miss out, but I get how squad selection works,” Cole told SPORTbible at a Heineken event after the Champions League final in Budapest. “Thomas is happy with his squad because he thinks they can meet the demands and expectations on the pitch. When someone is left out, people will ask questions. Thomas is clear about his style of play, and the players need to fit that style. He has his own way of deciding, and he believes this squad can win the World Cup.”
England’s team still has loads of top players, especially in midfield and attack, so it was always tough for some stars to make it. Their hunt for a controlling midfielder seems solved with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, who’s expected to partner Declan Rice in the tournament.
But Cole has high praise for another English midfielder. He worked with Liverpool’s Curtis Jones in the Under-21 team when they beat Spain to win the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Jones scored the winning goal in the final and later joined the senior squad when Lee Carsley was interim England boss, with Cole as his assistant.
Jones has played five times for England and scored on his debut with a clever backheel against Greece, but he wasn’t really in the running for this World Cup. Still, Cole is a big fan of the 25-year-old, who’s linked with Inter Milan in Serie A.
“I’m a huge fan of Curtis Jones,” Cole said. “He can play pretty much anywhere on the pitch. He’s smart and knows how to find space. He can build play, sit deeper as a six, control games, dribble quickly, find passes through defenders, support attacks, and finish when needed. I worked with him in the Under-21s, and even though he hasn’t always played lots of minutes at Liverpool, I think he has a big future ahead.”
Cole played at five major tournaments for England, including three World Cups, from 2001 to 2014, alongside some of football’s greats. When asked if there was one player who maybe deserved more caps, Cole named former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge, a left-back who made 36 appearances for England.
“Maybe Wayne Bridge,” Cole said. “Back then, players like Joe Cole, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Stewart Downing, Ashley Young, and Trevor Sinclair were all playing on the left. But maybe there was a way to get Wayne into the team more—defensively behind me and maybe a bit more attacking.”
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