'Tuchel's gambles and iron conviction position him as the anti-Southgate'
Ivan Toney's sudden return to England's squad after a year out is both a remarkable act of faith – or change of heart - on Tuchel's part as well as a condemnation of others who had claims on being Harry Kane's understudy. It is also another sign of what is surely England and Tuchel's biggest fear – how can they cope should misfortune befall all-time record goalscorer Kane? Quite how 30-year-old Toney has worked his way back into Tuchel's consciousness is intriguing, given he was summoned from Saudi Arabia a year ago for a World Cup qualifier away to Andorra then a friendly at home to Senegal, given two minutes as a substitute in the latter as England lost 3-1, then was dispatched never to be seen again.
Until now. Until Tuchel laid out his World Cup masterplan. Toney has scored 42 goals for his Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli this season, not necessarily the acid test of international quality, but this pick has not come from left field.
It has come from a different continent. It may be that Toney has the cool temperament required in the heat of World Cup combat, and he is a penalty expert of course, but why has Tuchel left his selection until now after trying Dominic Calvert-Lewin and ignored the claims of Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck? If he felt Toney was going to be part of his World Cup plans for those March friendlies, why not pick him then?
Tuchel has come up with an emphatic answer to the question of whether Manchester City's Phil Foden or Chelsea's Cole Palmer should make his squad – neither. In reality, Foden or Palmer can have no complaints based on form this season. Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Bournemouth's Alex Scott can be equally, if not more, aggrieved.
And Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, a smooth mover and passer but maybe not quite intense enough for Tuchel's liking, might just be the most disappointed of all. England's midfield has great talent, but could Tuchel not have made room for one more creator in that area rather than effectively pick two understudies to Harry Kane in Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who deserves to go on current form, and Toney? Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will form the bedrock of England's midfield, but there was certainly a strong case for either Wharton or Gibbs-White to make the plane.