Thomas Tuchel is misusing one England star badly - and it's stopping us reaching our World Cup potential

England's pitiful goalless draw against Ghana on Tuesday night was the first genuinely worrying sign from Thomas Tuchel's men at the 2026 World Cup.

After arriving at the tournament with optimism and an abundance of attacking talent, the Three Lions instead looked predictable, slow and completely devoid of ideas in the final third. Ghana sat deep, stayed compact and dared England to break them down. Truthfully, we never looked capable of doing so.

Perhaps more concerning for Thomas Tuchel is that other nations will now have seen the perfect blueprint. If Ghana could frustrate England for 90 minutes with a disciplined low block, there is every chance future opponents will attempt the same approach in the knockout rounds.

That means England need something different - a wildcard of sorts. A player capable of carrying the ball through tight spaces, committing defenders and creating chances where none appear to exist.

Right now, Tuchel already has that player in his squad, but he's just not using him correctly - step forward, Morgan Rogers.

The incorrect Jude Bellingham vs Morgan Rogers debate

Much of the pre-tournament discussion centred on whether Jude Bellingham or Rogers should operate as England's no.10 in Tuchel's favoured 4-2-3-1.

On paper, it looked like a straight shootout. Two gifted ball-carriers, two creative outlets, but one position.

However, forcing it into a binary decision feels unnecessarily restrictive - and potentially damaging.

Simply put, Tuchel doesn't need to choose between them. He needs to find a way to play both.

Rogers has regularly featured off the left for Aston Villa, drifting inside to combine, create overloads and attack the half‑spaces. It is a role he understands, and one that fits England’s system perfectly.

Even more importantly, Anthony Gordon’s poor start to the tournament has opened the door wide, while deploying Rogers from the left would also allow Marcus Rashford to remain an impact 'finisher' capable of punishing tired defences late in games.

Slotting Rogers in on the left keeps that dynamic intact while adding the creativity that England are sorely lacking.

Why Morgan Rogers can unlock England's true potential at the 2026 World Cup

Rogers earned his place in the England squad through outstanding club form.

During the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, he registered 16 goal contributions in 37 starts while also helping Aston Villa win the Europa League. Those numbers alone justified his inclusion.

But the more compelling argument lies in his creative output.

Among all Premier League players last season, Rogers ranked 19th for total passes completed in the final third.

Of the Englishman listed, only Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White produced more among England-qualified players, with Gibbs-White surprisingly omitted from Tuchel's squad.

Even more impressively, Rogers created 13 big chances during, ranking joint-eighth in the division. Only Rice produced more among England's regular starters, and much of Rice's output came from set-piece situations.

Rogers created more big chances than Bukayo Saka and comfortably outperformed the likes of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, both of whom were left at home.

The direct comparison with Bellingham is also revealing - despite playing alongside elite attacking talents such as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid, Bellingham produced nine fewer big chances in LaLiga last term.

What makes Rogers so valuable is the blend of creativity and agility he offers. He can receive possession under pressure, glide past opponents and create openings in congested areas. Those are precisely the qualities England lacked against Ghana's deep defensive block.

The argument becomes even stronger when examining where Rogers has produced his best football. For Villa, he averaged a goal contribution every 1.8 matches when starting from the left. Operating centrally, that figure dropped slightly to one every 2.1 matches.

The difference is not huge, but it reinforces the idea that Rogers is more than comfortable - and often more dangerous - attacking from wide positions while drifting inside to influence games.

England still have time to make adjustments before the knockout stages, starting with Panama on Saturday.

If Tuchel wants his side to become more unpredictable and better equipped to break down stubborn opponents, the answer may already be staring him in the face.

Rogers should not be competing with Bellingham for a place, he should be playing alongside him. And until that happens, England will continue to leave one of their most dangerous weapons underused.