Don’t judge Tuchel on qualifiers – Rooney fires back at critics

Wayne Rooney has leapt to the defence of England manager Thomas Tuchel, insisting the German tactician should not be judged on what he bluntly dismissed as “nonsense” World Cup qualifiers.

The former Manchester United star made the comments on his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, as England prepare to host Andorra before facing Serbia in Group K.

Tuchel, who took over the Three Lions at the start of 2025, has already guided the team to victories over Albania (2-0), Latvia (3-0), and Andorra (1-0). But despite the winning start, critics have questioned the style and entertainment value of England’s play.

Rooney, England’s record scorer with 53 goals in 120 caps, wasn’t having it.

“I think he’s a top manager,” Rooney said. “He’s maybe got a little bit of stick about the way England played, and those games are just nonsense really. You turn up and you just know England are going to win the game. Ten men behind the ball, you’ve got to break them down — it’s boring, but not easy.”

The 39-year-old admitted he himself found some of England’s recent fixtures painful to watch.

“The last few games, it was against Andorra or something like that. Painful. I feel sorry for Tuchel, because he probably wants a decent game where he can go and show what he can do. It’s a no-win situation, really.”

Tuchel’s contract runs until the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and two more wins this week could see England virtually secure qualification with games to spare.

But Rooney insists the real test is still to come.

“For Thomas Tuchel, you want to see England having to sit back and defend, and tactically break down big teams. Against the better sides, that’s when you’ll see what he’s really made of. Whether they’ll win the World Cup… you don’t know. He’s got one shot, hasn’t he?”