Should England's Manager Have Used This Premier League Wonderkid?

Thomas Tuchel has made mistakes as England boss, the second half performance against Argentina being one. But I think he's made another much more recently than the World Cup. Welcome back to the Boys' Bit Special, a 4-4-2 series highlighting the best and most exciting young players that you need to be aware of. I believe what I'm about to say is Tuchel's biggest mistake with the current England squad. And bear with me, I have my reasons. About 12 months ago, I went out on a limb and said Max Darwin and Rio Ngamoa were set for big breakout campaigns. I was right. In 12 months' time, we might even be talking about the 18-year-old who starts on the wing for the back-to-back Premier League champs. Provided he stays injury-free, we can say quite confidently that the first team is where he's going to stay for the foreseeable A year on, they've gone from strength to strength. Rio is a genuine starting option at Liverpool and in the England squad. Listed as a right-footed left winger, Rio is a straight-line attacker and by that I mean he goes for goal. Comfortable on both feet, a fearless dribbler who'll run at his man, leaving defenders' legs in a tangle. He's like a bowling ball making light work of remaining pins. He's seemingly leapfrogged Italy international Federico Chiesa in the Liverpool pecking order and there's even been suggestions that Cody Gakpo's spot on the left-hand side could come under threat if Rio continues to impress. Max Darwin, meanwhile, is taking Premier League teams apart on his own despite having his minutes carefully managed. Just ask Ipswich. Darwin is a duck and weave player, dodging challenges as best he can while making a beeline for the byline. From an output perspective, Darwin has 20 goals and 10 assists in 25 appearances for Arsenal's A-teams. He isn't just an athlete who can run and run at defences, with little to show for it when it matters most. He's a footballer. And what about his record for the 21s? Does it translate? In all honesty, no, because he's skipped the age group altogether and he's already regarded a first-team player. Now, I'm going out on a limb again. I'm no oracle for predicting that Darwin and Ngumoa have talent in abundance, obviously. There'll be tons of scouts, coaches, analysts, and probably parents who've watched on from the sidelines for years, who knew these two were destined for the top. But they're not here. I am. So it's my responsibility to tell you. And, you know, maybe look clever. What I'm deciding to do here is move the conversation on. Now, before you point out the obvious, yes, I know Rio is in the England squad and made his debut in the pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand, but it was A, a friendly, and B, New Zealand. Now, no offence, Kiwis, but he faces tougher opponents every week in the Premier League. What I'm talking about is Rio Ngamoa getting a crash course in Tommy Tactics Tuchel over the next several international breaks. Not an internship, a Three Lions apprenticeship, an England graduate scheme, if you will. If that means putting some established noses out of joint, so be it. I truly believe these two are the future of the England national team. You know what they say, out with the old, in with the new. The best time to start was yesterday, the next best time to start is now and all that jazz. So who am I chucking from the current crop of England players to accommodate Ngamaw and Darwin then? Well, first on the chopping block, and I think Tuchel agrees, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney. You're playing Saudi Arabia, lads. If you were that bothered about representing England, well, you wouldn't be playing your club football there. We all know why you're there. Not saying I wouldn't do the same. Watkins and Toney are both 30, and before the third place playoff, sorry, the bronze final, they played a whopping seven World Cup minutes combined. And this time, they've been left out of the squad. Okay, so I've got rid of two experienced backup strikers for a pair of teenage wingers. Bold, but yes, yes I have, and here's why. For at least another tournament, it's going to be all Kane all the time, let's face it. No other striker, as good as they might be, is getting a look in. He's going to win the Ballon d'Or for crying out loud, even if he does miss the occasional penalty. Doesn't that leave England's squad woefully understaffed when it comes to centre-forwards, though? You're not going to play Dowman or Rio through the middle. No, of course not. I'm not stupid. Not that stupid. What we're going to do instead is use Jude Bellingham as the back-up centre-forward. If Harry Kane gets injured or drops off to an incredible degree, I think it's pretty safe to say that Jude has what it takes to lead the England line. He knows where the goal is, he gets into the box like his life depends on it, and he's got the right sort of I'm-him character to be an England centre-forward. Think about it. It just makes sense. Jude Bellingham, number nine at international level. I won't explain myself further. Okay, maybe a little bit further. Remember that season when Bellingham scored 19 goals in La Liga? Look at this shot map. That is a centre-forward shot map. But since having to accommodate Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham's dropped a little deeper at Real Madrid, and so have his goal numbers. But don't be fooled. That aptitude for scoring hasn't exactly disappeared. Seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, anyone? Bellingham gets into positions of maximum opportunity. Sam Allardyce would stick him up front, and have Yuri Dzhokaev and Stelios Giannakopoulos providing support and running off him. Bellingham in a big Sam team, by the way. Now that's a nice image. Right, so what's the hurry? Can we not let Dowman and Rio develop at their own pace? I hear you. I really hear you. Mikel Arteta hears you. I'll counter, though. International football doesn't come around all that often, even if it sometimes feels that way. It's four times a year, if you're involved in every squad. And the idea wouldn't be for them to play every game right away. The cornerstone of this argument is that both players and the national team will be better served by them shadowing the senior pros in the senior squad, than instead of playing for the under-19s or the under-21s, which are levels they've clearly leapfrogged. And let's address the elephant in the room too. England's qualification for upcoming tournaments is basically a formality. Even if Tuchel somehow doesn't lead England to Euro 2028 via the qualification groups, which will be drawn in December, he's got the Nations League back door, and it's hard to see England mucking both routes up. Before we carry on, a quick word from today's sponsor, Norton VPN. Whether you're working from a coffee shop, travelling or just browsing at home, you're constantly sending information across the internet. Norton VPN helps add an extra layer of privacy by encrypting your internet connection and helping keep your online activity more private. It's simple to use, works across your everyday devices and you can connect to VPN servers in locations all around the world, whether you're at home or on the move. So if you want to add another layer of privacy and security to your everyday browsing, click the link in the description to find out more and see the latest Norton VPN offer. Right, back to the video. This next reason isn't justification alone to include Dowman and Ngamaw, but it does strengthen the case. Other countries are already doing it. Mauricio Pochettino hasn't included Folarin Balogun or Christian Pulisic in his latest USA squad, but 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan is in. Admittedly, the US men's national team only have friendlies during this international break. What else could you describe England's recent qualifiers against the likes of San Marino, Andorra and Latvia, other than glorified friendlies. And then there's Jurgen Klopp. He's named two separate squads for Germany's four Nations League matches in September and October. Turns out, he can actually just do things. And you know what? Thomas Tuchel's never been the type to conform, has he? Have you not seen that video of him lying biking on the pavement without a helmet? A real rebel without a cause. Dowman is with the under-19s this month, and I'd thoroughly recommend catching one of those games if you're able. In fact, by the time this video goes out, Dowman will probably have done something ridiculous against Ireland or Norway, so look out for that. Tuchel deciding not to name him alongside Rio with the seniors this time isn't a mistake per se, despite what we've decided to title the video and what I said at the start, but sooner rather than later I think it would be prudent to start thinking about succession planning England's forward line. Let us know what you think of this proposal in the comments below and remember to stick a like on the video as well as subscribing if you're not doing so already. That way I can can get my mug on your screens more often. By the way, I know it's the international break and I know it can be quite long and tiresome without club football, so in the background we've been working on a remedy. If you haven't checked out 4-4-2 goals yet, oh my word, get on it. It's the new game where you roll the dice and build a Premier League XI of players past and present whose goal tallies add up to 442, in a 4-4-2 formation of course. Caution, it's addictive. Bye for now.