England fans noticed Thomas Tuchel’s clear poke at Trent Alexander-Arnold live on ITV before the game against Croatia.
England fans think Thomas Tuchel took a clear swipe at Trent Alexander-Arnold just minutes before the Three Lions’ Nations League match against Croatia in Rijeka.
Tuchel gave Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott his first start along with Elliot Anderson in midfield, while regulars Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka all started as well.
Jordan Pickford came back in goal after James Trafford played in England’s last two games against Spain and Czechia. Ezri Konsa paired up with Marc Guehi in central defense.
Lewis Hall stayed at left-back, but Alexander-Arnold was dropped. Jarell Quansah took his spot at right-back, despite Trent providing a beautiful assist for Gordon in the 2-0 win over Czechia. In total, Tuchel made five changes from that game in Prague.
Tuchel didn’t hold back when asked by ITV why he made these changes before kick-off.
“It was very close. There’s a lot to defend on that side, especially with Perisic,” he said.
Many fans saw this as a dig at Trent, since some have criticized the defensive side of his game before.
One fan wrote: “Tuchel just said he’s starting Quansah over Trent because there’s a lot to defend on that side. He’s joking, right? I have no words.”
Another said: “Tuchel must have seen Trent’s great assist midweek and decided England needed Quansah at right-back instead. He needs to go.”
A third added: “Tuchel and Mourinho are alike—they bench Trent right after he plays brilliantly.”
Another fan commented: “What a time to be alive! Quansah is actually preferred over Trent for England’s right-back.”
One more said: “Imagine being as good as Trent and seeing Quansah chosen above you. I honestly think Tuchel is having a laugh with England fans, and it’s quite funny.”
And a sixth wrote: “How can we take Tuchel seriously when he’s starting Quansah over Trent?”
Trent was even left out of Tuchel’s 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel once said in 2025, “Sometimes he relies too much on his attack and doesn’t focus enough on defensive discipline and effort. If he wants to have the same impact for England as he has had for Liverpool, he must take defense seriously.”
England’s next game is against Czechia at Wembley on October 6.