Jamie Carragher is not bullish about England's chances at the World Cup, and his past experiences explain why. The former Liverpool defender made his 38th and final international appearance in one of England's most forgettable tournament matches, a goalless draw against Algeria at South Africa 2010. As he walked off the pitch, Wayne Rooney sarcastically criticised England's own fans into a TV camera. It was that sort of occasion.
Carragher's World Cup memories
Carragher featured twice in the 2010 tournament and made four appearances in Germany in 2006. Speaking on The Overlap, he said: "I played in a couple of World Cups … I don't think I enjoyed the experience. I didn't love it. I didn't come away thinking … wow, I was part of the World Cup. There were a lot of negatives." England were beaten in the quarter-finals by Portugal in 2006 and, infamously, by Germany in the round of 16 in 2010. In recent editions, England reached the semi-finals in 2018 and were eliminated in the quarter-finals by France in 2022.
Tuchel's squad choices
Carragher believes Thomas Tuchel has prioritised energy, athleticism, and harmony over talent. He noted: "I think when you look at the squad, Thomas Tuchel put energy, athleticism and harmony over talent. I know Anthony Barry (Tuchel's assistant) a little, and they put great store in this togetherness and how we're going to be as a group for, hopefully, six weeks." Carragher added: "I think England will find it tough in this tournament, if I'm being honest. You look at the squad that has been picked and there are a lot of good players in there but I class a lot of them as good Premier League players. I don't look at all of them and think … that's an international player there. So, I wouldn't say I'm the most optimistic right now."
Lack of stardust
Carragher's reservations are understandable. Tuchel has left out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the first two cases, form appears to be the reason; in Alexander-Arnold's case, Tuchel has never been a fan. Carragher said: "You look at how they (England) are going to go about winning the World Cup. It won't be about playing amazing football." He is almost certainly right. Tuchel's England might advance far into World Cup 2026, but it is going to be a tough watch.
