Fair play to manager Thomas Tuchel for trying to accelerate England’s intrigue during the international break at the risk of losing it entirely.
He has done little, or at least not enough, to quell doubts about the Real Madrid star’s place in the squad, or next summer’s squad, after he taunted England fans who were “silent” at Wembley and snubbed Jude Bellingham.
But with the “offensive” comment still being used by some in the media as evidence of the rift with Bellingham, despite Bellingham’s apology and insistence that it was a second-language error, the Three Lions manager could be forgiven for believing his comments had so little to do with the report or what he said that he didn’t need to say anything.
Jack Grealish was also left out of the squad. There was a sense of unfairness in the minds of many after Everton’s impressive start to the season, but the move was probably made at least in part because Tuchel wanted them to play regular football if they wanted to qualify for the World Cup.
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Asked about the snub, Tuchel called Grealish a “very special player” and “a very special person”, and revealed that Grealish, like Bellingham and Phil Foden, had been left out from the last international break due to the German’s desire to keep the same group together.
Again, whether that’s a good or fair decision is highly debatable, and I can even understand some skepticism about whether that’s the real reason for the high-profile snub. Tuchel’s citation of the New England Patriots’ document made us wonder if we should just take his word for it.
But what we don’t understand is how someone who, given all the reasons why Grealish wasn’t selected, insists that the only explanation is a “personal” issue between the two sides, can take the manager’s word for it, as Republic of Ireland legend Kevin Kilbane is sure to do.
“Jack Grealish should be part of the England squad now and he should be with us during this international break,” Kilbane told Metro.
“Looking at the form he has shown this season and how he has represented his country so far, I see no reason or valid excuse for him not to play international football.
“He may have to earn a starting spot because there are a lot of talented wingers in the team who have been around since his time in England.
“Even if he doesn’t start for England, he has the ability to bring on with 20 minutes left and have a big impact on the game, so I think it’s worth having him for next year’s World Cup.”
“I can’t think of any reason why he’s not in the team unless it’s something personal. I think it has to be something personal.
“Thomas Tuchel seems to have a solid plan in place, but Jack Grealish doesn’t seem to fit in.”
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And Grealish admirably said he “couldn’t complain” about not being selected, giving a very clear and perfectly reasonable reason for his exclusion after what can only be described as a very hostile conversation with Tuchel.
“First of all you want to play well for your club because that’s what we do every week, but obviously you want to be in the England squad,” Grealish told Sky Sports.
“But I understand that. I spoke to the manager and I understand that there is a lot of competition, especially in the left wing position at the moment. Rassie (Marcus Rashford) flying, (Eberechi) Eze, Anthony Gordon, they’re all doing very well.”
“I really can’t complain. That’s the way it is and I hope that he can continue to perform and influence games.”
I wish the people talking about Grealish were as grounded as the man himself.
