‘I think’: Darren Bent discusses whether Thomas Tuchel will recall Reece James for England
TalkSPORT pundit Darren Bent has just made some interesting points when discussing whether or not Thomas Tuchel will be tempted to recall Chelsea captain Reece James into the England squad.
The FA announced earlier this week that Thomas Tuchel is the new England senior men’s head coach, with his role officially commencing on 1 January 2025.
Tuchel, 51, is back in English football for the first time since leaving Stamford Bridge, where he won three pieces of silverware as Chelsea manager. The German boss is still adored by large sections of the Blues fanbase after guiding the club to their second ever Champions League trophy.
Marina Granovskaia congratulated Tuchel on his England appointment, which has split people’s opinions up and down the country.
- READ MORE: Gary Lineker tells story from Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea days as he becomes England’s new manager
Will Thomas Tuchel recall Reece James for England?
Darren Bent is already questioning whether we’ll see Chelsea right-back Reece James return to the England squad now that his former coach is in charge.
James’ last England cap was back in March 2023 against Italy. In fairness, the 24-year-old defender has had so many injury problems recently that his absence from the international scene hasn’t surprised anyone.
According to Bent, Tuchel helped get the best out of James at Chelsea, so there will be a big question mark about a potential England recall if he can sort out his fitness.
Bent told talkSPORT: “What do you do with a fit Reece James? When Reece James was playing with Ben Chilwell, those two as full-backs, they were almost the best attacking options for Chelsea at one point.
“If he (Tuchel) goes with a three at the back and two wing-backs, and Reece James and Ben Chilwell are fit and playing well for Chelsea, that’s a discussion to be had because he got the best out of those two.
“I’m a big, big fan of Reece James. I think he is such a fantastic footballer. I think he can defend really, he doesn’t mind the 1v1 battles. I think he’s comfortable in possession. I think his distribution is very, very good. The one problem he’s got is the fitness element – he can’t stay fit.
“If he does get fit and can play a sustained amount of time for Chelsea, four to six months without getting an injury, and he’s playing at a high level… It’s then what do you do with Reece James? Do you bring him back in or do you not?”
Reece James under Thomas Tuchel
During Tuchel’s 100 games in charge of Chelsea, James certainly emerged as one of the key players. The defender played 74 matches at Chelsea under Tuchel, scoring seven goals and creating 12 assists.
As mentioned above, James primarily played as a right wing-back under the German manager. It’s a position that definitely suits his game with his attacking qualities.
We’d argue that James would be a shoe-in in any England squad, regardless of the manager, if he was fit and firing at his best.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/D08aq6v
Post a Comment