Anthony Gordon has not minced his words when reliving the European Championship in 2024, calling the whole tournament a waste of a summer.
One minute was the sum total of Gordon’s involvement as England won only two of their seven matches in normal time amid heavy debate around problems on the left wing.
Different this time, with Gordon having performed well in the knockout stages and scoring the opener against Argentina in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final. He’s consigned 2024 to history and soon embarks on a new chapter in Barcelona.
Two years on, there are arguments flying about Thomas Tuchel’s midfield – particularly in light of the meek surrender at the feet of Lionel Messi. In lamenting the DNA, the lack of a passing chromosome, Tuchel did manage to get one thing right, but then his most obvious alternative option sat behind him in the dugout.
There will come a point when Kobbie Mainoo discusses the last six weeks and it would be no surprise if the 21-year-old refuses to bite his tongue, opening up in much the same way as Gordon did. The only other outfield player to not see any game time has been Trevoh Chalobah, a late replacement for the injured Tino Livramento and who was not expecting to feature.
Mainoo, whose end to the season at Manchester United made him an obvious pick for this squad, has been given no opportunity to show how his use of the ball can positively impact a team so often wedded to runners and guts, which is laudable when down to 10 in the Azteca but less so when met with elite opposition.
Kobbie Mainoo has been left out in the cold during England’s World Cup campaign
Mainoo had a great end to the season at United but has been overlooked by Thomas Tuchel
There have been times over the past month when some thought Mainoo was going to be given the nod, only for Tuchel to change his mind and stick with a patently unfit Declan Rice. It has been disappointment after disappointment, Mainoo understandably wearing that on his face. His father, Felix, has always been a strong sounding board and will have needed to be in America.
There are always a couple who do not affect a tournament within a group and in that sense it is normal, especially after the travails at United under Ruben Amorim and as Michael Carrick revitalises the academy graduate, whose displays in wins over rivals Manchester City and Liverpool indicate that he was back to approaching the player who Gareth Southgate trusted implicitly.
Yet in the context of England’s midfield issues, especially in the final half an hour against Argentina when possession statistics plummeted into the teens, a continual overlooking of Mainoo does feel odd. Reece James came on in midfield as Tuchel confused himself with overelaborate changes as they gave up any territorial advantage to Norway in the quarters.
It has led to people within the game wondering about the wisdom of bringing him here at all, if there had been no real intention of utilising his skillset. Aside from Elliot Anderson, the closest in the squad who actually has the sort of DNA that Tuchel craves. Strong in tight spaces, adept at recycling possession.
Chelsea right back Reece James was even deployed in midfield in front of Mainoo
And for somebody who is re-emerging from the darkness of Amorim’s tenure, who almost went to Napoli last summer and has been recapturing form and love for the game after a dip, to then have this dead-end of a trip stops him in his tracks somewhat. England do not owe United anything, and Tuchel picked the squad he believes could win this competition, but it does halt Mainoo’s positive momentum going into next season. It would have been interesting to hear the fallout were Sir Alex Ferguson in situ.
Despite not playing, Mainoo is now mandated to have three weeks off on holiday when flying home on Sunday and will be joining Carrick’s side late, just before the Premier League begins. Which is fine if you’ve actually been allowed to impact the country’s fortunes but that chance was not afforded.
And the dreaded, pointless third-place play-off looms on Saturday. France in Miami. With Anderson potentially being handed the day off, it would be no great surprise to see Mainoo featuring somewhere along the line.
That begs the question: what would be considered more disrespectful? A start against France or still sitting on the sidelines with zero minutes? Neither of those scenarios spell good news.
