Three Lions' top talents can't play together - what's the verdict?

England football stars
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden have been key players for England over the recent half-decade

With six wins out of six, no goals conceded and World Cup qualification assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could suggest he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

However, in the preparation for Thursday's Wembley encounter against Serbia, he raised questions when he said that three of the nation's top talents - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the same team.

"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.
"It's possible but not with current tactics, not for the balance that we created and not in this formation that also includes wingers who are highly specialized in their positions. We currently utilize with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine."

From guaranteed positions to competitive roles

England's creative talents have been utilized out wide for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections suggest that Marcus Rashford and the Gunners' star are his primary selections on the wing positions respectively.

But can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager certainly thought so.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven matches at the European Championship in Germany, where Southgate's side were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 fixtures the trio have played together, England have secured 10 victories, drawn three and been defeated three times, scoring 36 times and allowing 14 goals.

Strategic view: Versatile Foden offers solutions

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that changes shape when England attack.

The young midfielder has been the key creative force because of his excellent dribbling, shooting ability and ability to attack the box when the forward retreats.

Tuchel has discussed favoring natural flank operators. The wide attackers consistently operate in wide areas and can hold the ball well, challenge defenders, and enter the area to finish.

Behind this front four, Tuchel employs a double pivot consisting of a disciplined defensive presence and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be vying against other creative midfielders for the creative hub, with Kane probably featuring up front.

Foden could feature as the main forward, which theoretically could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is an alternative approach all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"At Manchester City, he functions as a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we view him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the central midfielder, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then allow Bellingham to play as the number 10 and Kane as the center forward.

Regardless of if Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the World Cup, what bodes well is his readiness to exclude star names in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.

Donald Gilbert
Donald Gilbert

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in reviewing online casinos and providing strategic betting advice.