Rooney advises FA to retain Tuchel unless Guardiola available
Wayne Rooney has urged the Football Association to keep Thomas Tuchel as England head coach following the World Cup semi-final exit, citing a lack of superior alternatives unless Pep Guardiola becomes an option.
Wayne Rooney has advised the Football Association to retain Thomas Tuchel as England head coach following the team’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney argued that Tuchel remains a top-class manager capable of learning from his errors, despite criticising his squad selection choices for prioritising harmony over competitive debate.
Rooney stated the FA should only consider replacing Tuchel if former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola becomes available. He questioned the pool of potential successors, noting, "I don't see anyone else out there at the minute, unless you go and get Pep Guardiola." He emphasised that while Tuchel has made mistakes, the strategic oddity of sacking him without a clear superior replacement would be detrimental to the national team's future.
Tuchel, who was appointed in January 2025 on an initial 18-month mission to win the World Cup, signed a contract extension in February 2026, extending his tenure until the summer of 2028. Rooney highlighted the strategic inconsistency of this move, remarking that it was "a little bit strange" if the priority was to win the World Cup, yet a two-year contract was secured before the tournament began.
Criticism has also been directed at Tuchel’s squad selection, which omitted high-profile players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Adam Wharton. Instead, the final 26-man squad included Jordan Henderson, Trevoh Chalobah, and Ivan Toney. Rooney argued that selecting players who are merely "happy around the camp" was detrimental, asserting that a World Cup-winning side requires debate and players with strong personalities who can challenge the manager.
Despite these criticisms and the late-game substitutions that contributed to the loss against Argentina, Tuchel has retained the backing of the FA. He intends to remain in charge to lead England into Euro 2028. Rooney acknowledged Tuchel’s lack of prior World Cup experience, drawing a parallel to Fabio Capello, but concluded that the German manager is still as good as any available candidate to lead the team into the next tournament.
