Wayne Rooney has defended England manager Thomas Tuchel, saying he should not be judged on what he called “nonsense” World Cup qualifiers.
Rooney made the comments on his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, as England prepare to play Andorra at home and then travel to Serbia in Group K.
Tuchel, who became England coach at the start of 2025, has won his first three competitive matches — 2-0 against Albania, 3-0 against Latvia, and 1-0 against Andorra. But despite the results, some critics have complained about the team’s style of play.
Rooney, England’s all-time top scorer with 53 goals in 120 games, disagrees.
“I think he’s a top manager,” Rooney said. “He’s maybe had a bit of criticism for how England played, but those games are just nonsense really. You already know England will win. It’s 10 men behind the ball and you have to break them down — boring, but not easy.”
The 39-year-old admitted he also finds some of England’s recent matches dull.
“The last few games, it was against Andorra or something like that. Painful. I feel sorry for Tuchel because he probably wants a proper game to show what he can do. It’s a no-win situation.”
Tuchel’s deal runs until the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Two more wins this week could all but seal England’s place in the tournament.
Still, Rooney believes the real test will come against stronger opponents.
“For Tuchel, you want to see England have to defend and tactically break down the top teams. That’s when you’ll see his quality. Will they win the World Cup? You can’t say. But he’s got one chance, hasn’t he?”
