Rooney: Stick with Tuchel unless Guardiola is available
Wayne Rooney believes the Football Association should keep Thomas Tuchel as England head coach unless Pep Guardiola becomes available.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney has urged the Football Association (FA) to retain Thomas Tuchel as head coach of the national team, unless they can secure Pep Guardiola. Rooney made the comments on The Wayne Rooney Show following England's 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.
Tuchel faced criticism for his substitutions that allowed Argentina to come back, but he has stated his intention to stay on and lead England into Euro 2028. Rooney acknowledged Tuchel is a top-class manager but highlighted his lack of World Cup experience, comparing it to that of former manager Fabio Capello.
"If we sack him, what managers are we going to bring in? I don't see anyone else out there unless you go and get Pep Guardiola," Rooney said. He also criticized Tuchel's squad selection, arguing that too many players were chosen simply because they are "happy around the camp" rather than bringing necessary debate and competitiveness.
Rooney pointed out that leaving out players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Adam Wharton while including Jordan Henderson, Trevoh Chalobah, and Ivan Toney was a mistake. Despite these reservations, Rooney maintained that Tuchel remains as good as any other manager to lead England into the next tournament.
