England Fans Criticize Thomas Tuchel Over Morgan Gibbs-White’s Omission
Thomas Tuchel has faced criticism from England fans for his handling of Morgan Gibbs-White during his first international camp as head coach. Many supporters believe the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager “messed” the player around by including him in the squad only to leave him out of both matches.
Tuchel concluded his debut England camp on a high note, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over Latvia at Wembley Stadium, following a solid 2-0 win against Albania just days earlier. The Three Lions began their World Cup qualifying campaign in dominant fashion, with goals from Reece James—who scored a stunning free-kick—Harry Kane, and Eberechi Eze. However, despite the positive results, fans were left frustrated by Tuchel’s treatment of one particular player.
Gibbs-White’s Call-Up Controversy
Tuchel made four changes to the lineup for the Latvia match, bringing in James, Marc Guehi, Jarrod Bowen, and Morgan Rogers in place of Kyle Walker, Dan Burn, Curtis Jones, and Phil Foden. Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson, who surprisingly received a call-up, featured in both fixtures, and Eze was given minutes against Latvia. However, Gibbs-White remained sidelined, much to the dismay of supporters.
The Nottingham Forest playmaker was initially left out of Tuchel’s first England squad, despite his strong form at club level. He was only drafted in after Chelsea’s Cole Palmer withdrew due to injury, yet his inclusion ultimately seemed pointless. Gibbs-White was cut from the squad for the Albania game before being reinstated for the Latvia match—only to remain an unused substitute.
The 25-year-old, instrumental in helping Forest climb to third place in the Premier League this season, was denied the chance to add to his two senior England caps. His complete lack of playing time led to frustration among fans, who took to social media to criticize Tuchel’s handling of the situation.
Fan Backlash and Gibbs-White’s Reaction
One X user expressed disbelief at the situation, posting:
“Has any player been messed around more by Tuchel this week than Morgan Gibbs-White? From a #NFFC perspective it’ll be great for him to come back injury-free, but it’s a farce that one of the in-form players in the Premier League hasn’t got a minute on the pitch in either game.”
Another fan was even more scathing, writing:
“Is Morgan Gibbs-White there just to do card tricks? Absolutely pointless call-up, he must be fuming. It’s actually very disrespectful from Tuchel, taking the p**s. #England.”
Gibbs-White himself admitted he was “upset” and “a little bit disappointed” after initially being left out of the squad, but he remained professional about the situation.
“I was upset, a little bit disappointed, but at the same time, you always have to look at the quality of players England have,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I took that into consideration, but when he told me, I respected his decision.
“I said to him, ‘I think I have done enough to get the call-up considering the club form that we are in, but you are the manager, you make the decisions, and I will respect that’.”
What Next for Gibbs-White and England?
While Gibbs-White has taken the snub professionally, his omission raises questions about Tuchel’s selection policies moving forward. Will he get another opportunity in the next round of qualifiers? Or will Tuchel continue to overlook one of the Premier League’s most in-form attacking midfielders?
With England off to a strong start under Tuchel, results may buy him some time to experiment with his squad. However, if he continues to exclude deserving players like Gibbs-White, fan unrest could grow louder. The debate over squad selections is unlikely to fade anytime soon, and all eyes will be on Tuchel’s next England squad announcement.
Thomas Tuchel accused of ‘messing’ player around after completing his first England camp
