Thomas Tuchel and Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo by Eric Alonso – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images, Europa Press via Getty Images)
In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former England striker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Thomas Tuchel’s first matches as England manager, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s unveiling at Real Madrid, the Club World Cup, Thomas Frank’s appointment at Tottenham manager, and more.
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Thomas Tuchel needs to stick to the basics with England
I can see three central defenders being at the forefront of Thomas Tuchel’s thinking. What he have is a world class striker, as well as lots of good wingers and attacking midfielders. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham will probably be the future of England in terms of central midfield, and we have some good full-backs when they are fit.
England basically played a 4-4-2 against Senegal, and although we lost, I was happy to see that used. Personally, I want to see Tuchel play players in their best positions, and that back of basics setup is what should have going forward. He needs to move forward on that basis.
I think Tuchel will have a good idea of his ideal starting line-up for the 2026 World Cup, but I think he should look to add younger players into the squad in the build-up to that tournament. They will be more open to being on the bench because there is less of an ego there, and that youthful exuberance will also be valuable.
Guys Like Tino Livramento, Elliot Anderson, James McAtee, Harvey Elliot can all be of value to Tuchel, and I hope that he looks at them when the international matches take place in the Autumn.
Liverpool fans need to move on from Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool and their fans need to move on quickly from this Trent Alexander-Arnold situation – and I think that most have already done so. Liverpool are not a club to cry over spilled milk, so it is simply a case of forgetting and looking ahead.
The move to Real Madrid is an excellent one for Trent, given that they are arguably the world’s biggest club. As a sportsman, you want to play for the world’s best and compete for trophies on a regular occasion, and he will certainly do that in Madrid. And I think that this move was the only possible step up that he could have made from Liverpool.
And the fact that he has embraced the move quickly by learning Spain well enough to speak it fluently at his press conference is excellent. It sends a message to Real Madrid’s hierarchy, his new teammates and the club’s supporters that he is there for the long haul, and I would not be surprised to see him end his time there with a similar CV to Gareth Bale – and considering his efforts at Liverpool, it would make him one of the most successful British players to have played football.
Club World Cup is good – but not in its current format
The undercarriage of the Club World Cup is that Saudi Arabia and some of the other countries in that area of the world that they want to be major players in football, and this competition gives them a platform to have that opportunity. On the face of it, it should have always been a tournament, and it is great to think about the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid taking on teams like Boca Juniors or Yokohama F. Marinos.
But with the news that there is already possible plans for the Club World Cup to be expanded to 48 teams, it underlines the point that Saudi Arabia are driving this forward through Infantino. They know that hosting this tournament with the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Real Madrid playing will give them more credibility.
I would welcome this competition more if Infantino had brought this competition towards on the basis of wanting to see the best teams in the world – say, 10 rather than 32 – playing each other. But that is obviously not what has happened in this case. This is about him having an idea that will cement his legacy, and it is being backed by Saudi and Emirati facets.
And because of this, I could see the Club World Cup being scrapped in the future once Infantino goes, provided that his successor is not as close with the Middle East.
Thomas Frank is a very good appointment for Tottenham
I really rate the appointment of Thomas Frank as Tottenham’s new manager. I have spoken to him in the past, and he is a very intelligent coach. He is a technical person, and because of this, he should fit in very well in north London. He understands tactical flexibility, which is something that Ange Postecoglou did not. And I think he will be as easy-going, but I’m sure that he will also operate with a rod of steel.
I also believe that it was the right time for him to leave Brentford. Had be stayed any longer, there would have been doubts about whether he would ever make the step up to a bigger team, but he has now done that.
I don’t understand this supposed revolt at Tottenham after Ange’s sacking. The decision was obviously taken because of the poor performance in the Premier League, but it is because of them that they ended up in 17th. Had they been better and maybe tried harder, he would still be at the club.
Someone like James Maddison talks a lot, but he does not deliver enough over the season. He was one player that appeared to have a good relationship with Ange, so it will be interesting to see how Frank views him. That is something for readers to keep an eye on for readers.
It must be remembered that Tottenham probably need 10 more wins next season compared to last if they are to qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League. And I think that Frank has more strings in his bow to improve the club’s level going forward when compared to Ange, who was tactically inflexible for the most part.
Nottingham Forest complaining about Crystal Palace is ironic
I think the multi-club owner stuff has a really simple solution: one state/business/person should only be allowed to have control of one club. And this should not only apply in Europe with UEFA, but across all confederations. If this was the way moving forward, this situation with Crystal Palace would not have happened.
On Palace, Textor has simply dropped the ball. But it is quite something that Nottingham Forest are the club that has complained, because not many people will believe that Evangelos Marinakis does not call the shots at the City Ground, and also Olympiacos.
He literally went on the pitch after the draw against Leicester in order to berate Nuno Espirito Santo, and he would not do that if he wasn’t a major player at Nottingham Forest. I think that it is insulting to people’s intelligence to suggest anything different.
He can sign a contract or write a letter confirming that he is no longer the owner of Nottingham Forest, but if he sits in the executive box and runs on the match after matches, it is hard to convince anyone of that fact.
Emi Martinez could have handed Aston Villa situation better
If a player wants to leave a football club, they should be afforded the opportunity to do so. Does Emi Martinez owe anything to Aston Villa? No. But saying that, I think it is poor that he has not clarified the situation, because it has created a lot of confusion. It is not surprising, but it is disappointing.
Aston Villa fans should thank Emi for this services, and it will be difficult to replace someone of his quality and personally. But I don’t think that anyone could begrudge him of a move this summer, even if he were to join Man United. He’s in his thirties, and he is at a stage where he probably wants a new life experience.
He could join any club he wanted that is around the Champions League or Europa League, but for now, he is an Aston Villa player.
