Pardew urges Tuchel to switch to diamond formation for World Cup

Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew has called on England head coach Thomas Tuchel to switch to a diamond midfield formation for the upcoming World Cup. Pardew made the suggestion during an appearance on talkSPORT, arguing that the squad has the ideal personnel for the system.

Pardew proposed a midfield quartet of Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, and Morgan Rogers, which would allow Tuchel to field two strikers, Ollie Watkins and Harry Kane. The suggestion comes amid concerns over Bukayo Saka's fitness, who has been managing an Achilles injury.

Tuchel's tactical preferences

Tuchel has predominantly used a 4-2-3-1 formation since taking charge of England, though he has also deployed a 4-3-3 in World Cup qualifying matches against Latvia, Albania, and a friendly against Uruguay. The German coach will have one final chance to assess his squad before the tournament in Wednesday's friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando.

England's World Cup campaign begins on June 17 against Croatia. The Three Lions can replace any injured player up to 24 hours before their opening match from a provisional 55-man list.