'Unselfish' over 'ego' - what do leaks say about Tuchel's England?

ByDaniel Austin

BBC Sport senior journalist

There were very few surprises when England's World Cup squad was announced on Friday morning.

Not because Thomas Tuchel made no controversial selections, but because the entire 26-man squad was steadily revealed through a series of leaks to journalists on Thursday.

The identities of who was in and who was out began to become clear from about 17:00 BST, at the same time as the majority of the players themselves were finding out.

Tuchel was clear that he selected a group of players he fully trusts.

"My job is not necessarily to select the 26 most talented players," he said.

"I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100% committed players, who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch, who are ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish."

So what exactly happened with the leaks, and what do Tuchel's pointed comments about selflessness tell us about what he wants from England's culture?

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire's decision to go public with his "shock and disappointment" on social media after being informed of his non-selection on Thursday drew criticism from some fans and pundits, who suggested the experienced defender should have waited for the official announcement before speaking out.

But other players, who did not publicly comment while still passing on news about their own situations, would have been fully aware the information would leak.

Tuchel's predecessor Gareth Southgate was praised throughout his tenure for generating an atmosphere of unity in his squad and restoring the positive relationship between the players and the public.

The first three players whose absence from the squad began to be leaked to journalists - Maguire, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer - were all previously favourites of Southgate's.

So does the fact that some players went rogue undermine Tuchel's authority or suggest some kind of disunity?

The German expressed evident displeasure with Maguire's reaction.

"It was not necessary to make it public," Tuchel told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.

"I [already] knew about his reaction, about his feelings about it. It didn't help, but I understand the disappointment and respect him a lot as a player.

"[Leaks] are just the nature of these times. We called the majority of the players yesterday [Thursday]. Players are disappointed and they talk of course and then too many people know, too many people want to know.

"We would have even liked to inform them earlier but we paid a lot of respect to the FA Cup final and Aston Villa in the Europa League final."

Asked if Maguire had effectively proved Tuchel right, the German wryly smiled and said "I didn't say that".

In his news conference, Tuchel insisted the experienced players he has selected in the squad help him run a tight ship.

"We have a decent leadership group," he added, while refusing to name the players he considers part of it.

"They created a culture, set the tone and took care of the standards."

Throughout his interview with BBC Sport afterwards, Tuchel repeatedly referenced leadership, unity and selflessness.

"It is also about how to handle disappointment," he added.

"There will be disappointment throughout the tournament, so how can players react to that, how can they overcome their ego, their pride, and still maybe push their team-mates?

"I don't want to take a gamble on it and find out in a tournament that someone struggles with that."

Perhaps, then, the leaks and reaction from disappointed absentees have only reaffirmed Tuchel's belief that he has made the right decisions.

The players who were not selected were telephoned by Tuchel and told the news, beginning late on Thursday afternoon.

Many of those included in the squad were informed by WhatsApp message.

"I tried to show my respect and appreciation by telling them in personal phone calls," the 52-year-old said.

"For some it was painful. We believe it had to be delivered by me."

The approach Tuchel took contrasts with Southgate's method, which involved informing players about whether they were included in the squad for a tournament on the morning of the announcement itself, just beforehand.

One of the modern arguments for settling on a final squad well in advance of the public announcement is that doing so allows national associations to create bespoke social media content designed to appeal to fans, as the FA did with a Beatles-inspired short film, external featuring every squad member's name.

Some countries take a different approach, removing the possibility of widespread leaks.

Brazil, for example, had Carlo Ancelotti reveal his squad live on TV, with players only finding out if they were in or out as they watched at home.