Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad raised debate. (Image: Getty)
fans made their feelings about manager abundantly clear during their 4-2 victory against in the on Saturday. Tuchel sparked intense debate with since replacing Gareth Southgate as Three Lions boss, notably snubbing Morgan Gibbs-White.
The German coach enforced multiple eye-catching omissions while calling up a host of surprise names, such as Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson. Gibbs-White’s absence was among his most unpopular decisions amid a stellar season at Forest, fuelling the club’s shock push for Champions League football. The 25-year-old recorded the latest of his 12 Premier League goal contributions against Ipswich, prompting a predictable response from the away end at Portman Road.
After setting up substitute Jota Silva to restore Forest’s three-goal advantage in the 87th minute, jubilant fans showed Gibbs-White support by chanting: “Thomas Tuchel, what a w****r, what a w****r.”
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson, also excluded from the squad that will start England’s 2026 World Cup squad to face Latvia and Albania in March, played their part in the 4-2 win.
Nikola Milenkovic opened the scoring on 35 minutes before Anthony Elanga profited from an Anderson pass just moments later.
Elanga struck his second before half-time as Milenkovic added an assist to his day’s work in East Anglia with an ambitious long ball.
Morgan Gibbs-White was a big snub in the England squad. (Image: Getty)
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Jens Cajuste offered the relegation-bound hosts some hope after combining with Jack Clarke to make it 3-1 in the 82nd minute.
But Gibbs-White’s contribution five minutes later ensured George Hirst’s stoppage-time goal was nothing but a consolation for Ipswich.
Explaining his decision to snub the Forest trio on Monday, Tuchel said: “Morgan, Elliot and Callum play on such a high level every week, and they are the high-fliers of the league.
“Elliot, for example, can still play for the Under-21s so he will be close by at St George’s Park. I see Elliot Anderson as a No. 8, Morgan as a No. 10 and Callum as a winger.
“If you look at our squad, you can also see they have huge competition on their position – world-class players who have proved themselves on the same level as Nottingham Forest, who have proved themselves in international football and even the Champions League.
“They know it. They accept it. It is never easy to bring this message. It is never easy to take the message in.
“But I just can tell everyone that we acknowledge the outstanding season they have, and the calls were very close.”