Scholes Slams Tuchel's Bellingham Placement: England Midfield "Just Isn't Right"

Paul Scholes has taken aim at Thomas Tuchel's midfield setup ahead of England's final group-stage outing against Panama on Saturday, insisting the Three Lions have got their balance fundamentally wrong.

England began their campaign with an impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia but saw their momentum stall in a goalless stalemate with Ghana on Tuesday. Despite maintaining top spot in the group, the stalemate means Tuchel is unlikely to fully overhaul his XI for the Panama clash, with the German boss indicating he will opt for "moderate" adjustments rather than wholesale changes.

Speaking at his Wednesday press conference, Tuchel highlighted his centre-back partnership and singled out Elliot Anderson for particular praise, noting the midfielder "had a step forward and a good performance, maybe a bit better than against Croatia." He also suggested some players "should be on the pitch" following their Ghana display.

Scholes, however, reckons the fundamental issue lies with how Bellingham is being utilised. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football, the former Manchester United midfielder made his case plain: "The midfield just isn't right."

His prescription is straightforward—Bellingham should drop deeper into a No.8 role rather than operating as a No.10. "Bellingham is not a No.10. He is a No.8 who can run," Scholes explained. "A No.10 gets your team playing really good football. That's not Bellingham. They do bits of magic around the box and that's not Bellingham. He's got to be arriving in the box late, and he's good enough on the ball to be able to do that."

Scholes went further, suggesting Tuchel may well have regrets about his team selection. "I think he'll wake up this morning thinking 'I picked the wrong team last night,'" he said.

The tactical reshuffle Scholes advocates would require either Rice or Anderson to make way, a trade-off that may not appeal to Tuchel given both midfielders' defensive credentials. More broadly, Scholes' argument overlooks the fact that England's two most technically gifted operators in confined spaces—Foden and Palmer—were left out of the squad entirely.

Wayne Rooney has echoed similar sentiments, pointing to the absence of those creative talents. "These games are more difficult than games against better teams that are better going forward. There's more space," Rooney reasoned. "I don't want to go back to it, but these games are when you need a Phil Foden or a Cole Palmer. Clever players in tight areas."

He continued: "With Declan Rice, through all Declan's qualities, getting in little tight areas and linking play, that's where you probably need a Foden or a Palmer."