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    Jack Grealish slammed Gareth Southgate and annoyed Pep Guardiola – now he must do his talking on the pitch for Man City

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    JACK GREALISH vowed to “prove some people wrong” as he returned to training early following his Euro 2024 snub — but we are still waiting.No doubt the main one was Gareth Southgate – the man who axed him from the squad – and he took aim at the former Three Lions  boss again this week.Jack Grealish is back with England but needs to step up for Man CityCredit: GettyGrealish helped usher in Lee Carsley’s interim reign with the Three Lions by rounding off a 2-0 win away to Ireland in SeptemberCredit: GettyThe Man City ace will hope his recall under Carsley continues with England’s incoming permanent boss Thomas TuchelCredit: GettyThe Manchester City winger is clearly still hurting from what he described as the “hardest moment of his career” back in June.He vowed to use his heartache as motivation, and prove that he should have been on the  plane to Germany despite an indifferent previous 12 months at the Etihad.Yet, despite a couple of goals in the autumn internationals, the £100million man’s season is yet to really take off.And with no more international football for four months, the time has come for him to do some talking on the pitch for City.READ MORE TOP STORIESJust four Prem starts so far, with two cup games,  is not what his employers were hoping for after almost a third of the campaign.What is more, he managed to test the patience of Pep Guardiola yet again by telling him he wanted to join up with the England squad earlier this month.The Etihad chief made it clear Grealish should be staying back at the City Football Academy to work on his fitness after a hamstring issue.But the former Aston Villa skipper insisted he wanted to go — although in the end he was  sent back almost as soon as he put his bags down at St George’s Park.Most read in FootballGrealish will have to wait four months to see if Tuchel picks himCredit: AFPFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSGrealish could probably see why his club manager was so miffed.He was back in training a couple of days before City’s defeat at Brighton ten days ago,  but has not played any competitive football  since October 20.Top ten greatest Premier League players of all time as Kevin de Bruyne and Cristiano Ronaldo both miss out on top spotThat was as a second-half sub at Wolves, while his last start came two weeks before that as the champions edged past Fulham.Guardiola said Grealish has had “two or three setbacks” with injuries and has not been able to find any rhythm. This was not what anyone had in mind when he was one of the first to report back for pre-season training in July.Speaking in Orlando on City’s pre-season tour in late July, he opened up on his Euro heartache, saying: “It was the hardest moment for me as a footballer. And I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career.“I felt like I should have been in the squad. “But I want to try and use it as motivation now, going forward into this season, and hopefully prove some people wrong.“I just need to regain my form and fitness and after that I know what I can do on the pitch.”He has shown glimpses of what he can do since then — for his country at least — with goals in the away wins over Republic of Ireland and Finland. But he has just one assist in seven Prem appearances for City so far this term. And not many of the Etihad faithful will be surprised either, given the way last season ended for him.He appeared in just one of their last five matches as City swept to a fourth straight Prem title and that was a brief cameo off the bench.City chief Pep Guardiola was unhappy Grealish went with EnglandCredit: ReutersGareth Southgate omitting him for Euro 2024 hurt GrealishCredit: GettyOver the course of last season, he started only ten Premier League matches.Then, when City desperately searched for  a goal in their FA Cup final defeat to United, the most expensive signing in the club’s history stayed on the bench.Guardiola admitted after that game that Grealish had “struggled” for much of the campaign.The signs were promising as Grealish impressed during City’s four-match summer tour of the US.His manager said in August: “From what I’ve seen so far from Jack,  I’ve loved it. It’s his commitment in every session.“Hopefully he can sustain it until  the end of the season and compete for a place, but it depends on him.”Fast forward three months and Pep had a face like thunder when he  discussed Lee Carsley’s call-up of Grealish for this month’s internationals — and the player’s decision to accept it.The pair might have to patch things up a bit when training resumes ahead of Saturday’s visit of Tottenham.And Grealish, who turned 29 in September, will know he needs to get that form and fitness back quickly.It does not matter if Southgate, Carsley or Thomas Tuchel is boss,  if you are not performing well for your club, you cannot expect to play for your country.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd after his summer heartache, Grealish knows that only too well. More

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      England’s path to World Cup 2026 becomes clear with qualifying pots confirmed and chance of tricky meeting with rivals

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      ENGLAND are set to be among the top seeds for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after securing their return to Nations League A.But new boss Thomas Tuchel could potentially face a nightmare encounter with a Home Nations rival as he prepares to guide the Three Lions to the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.Thomas Tuchel will guide England through the World Cup qualifiersThe Three Lions have been placed into Pot 1 for the World Cup qualifying drawEngland could be grouped against rivals Scotland next monthAfter a successful Nations League campaign under interim boss Lee Carsley, England have since been placed into qualifying Pot 1.Each of the Nations League quarter-finalists have also earned an automatic spot in Pot 1. That means Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Euro winners Spain will be among the highest-seeded teams.They have been joined by the four next highest ranking sides in the Fifa Men’s world list: England, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria.READ MORE ON ENGLANDSo, for now, England will avoid being grouped with all of the top-listed sides in Pot 1, as no two teams from the same pot can end up in the same group.However, Tuchel faces being placed in the same qualifying group as some of England’s closest rivals.Wales will be in Pot 2 after topping their Nations League group to earn promotion to League A.And England could also be grouped with one of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland in Pot 3.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe Three Lions will be among those drawn into 12 groups of four or five teams on December 13.As group winners – and having avoided Nations League play-offs – they are likely to be in a five-team group that starts in March.Lee Carsley hailed for ‘best football England have ever played’ as fans say ‘can we rip up Tuchel’s contract-‘England face a 25 per cent chance of being in a four-team group, which means they are more likely to be placed in a five-team group.The latter is the worse of the two scenarios for Tuchel because it means starting qualifying in March.The German wouldn’t be able to ease into the job with a couple of friendlies during that March international break as his first two games would count towards qualifying for the World Cup.Carsley successfully led them back into the Nations League’s top tier with two convincing victories, over Greece and Ireland, in his final games in charge.By finishing top of Group B2, England are extremely likely to have a World Cup play-off spot banked, with the same situation facing Group B4 winners Wales.Following England’s 5-0 win over Ireland, Tuchel has avoided a Nations League promotion play-off as his first assignment.This means he will embark on a fresh Qualifying campaign for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2026.What are the World Cup European Qualifying pots?Pot 1SpainGermanyPortugalFranceItalyNetherlandsDenmarkCroatiaEnglandBelgiumSwitzerlandAustriaPot 2UkraineSwedenTurkeyWalesHungarySerbiaPolandGreeceRomaniaSlovakiaCzech RepublicNorwayPot 3ScotlandSloveniaRepublic of IrelandAlbaniaNorth MacedoniaGeorgiaFinlandIcelandNorthern IrelandMontenegroBosnia and HerzegovinaIsraelPot 4BulgariaLuxembourgKosovoBelarusArmeniaKazakhstanAzerbaijanEstoniaCyprusFaroe IslandsLatviaLithuaniaPot 5MoldovaMaltaAndorraGibraltarLiechtensteinSan MarinoBest-case scenario for England’s qualifying group of fiveAs per the current world rankings and pot positions, England could face Pot 2 side Serbia in their qualifying group when it’s drawn in 23 days time.Another best-case scenario grouping would come against Pot 3 outfit Iceland.But that hasn’t been an entirely easy fixture in English football as Gareth Southgate’s side found out when they lost 1-0 to Iceland in their final warm-up game before Euro 2024 in June.England were also memorably, and embarrassingly, dumped out of Euro 2016 in a 2-1 defeat to Iceland in the Round of 16.The Three Lions will be hoping they were freak results, as they did beat their bogeyteam from the volcanic island in their two games in-between.Meanwhile, another best-case match-up would be against the Faroe Islands, who are in Pot 4 and have never qualified for the World Cup.England suffered their worst humiliation when they lost to Iceland in 2016Worst-case scenario for England’s qualifying group of fiveOut of all the teams in Pot 2, England will want to avoid being grouped with regional rivals Wales.While England beat Wales in their World Cup group in Qatar, Tuchel will want to avoid any embarrassing defeats to the Welsh, who under the new leadership of Craig Bellamy, will be hell-bent on causing an upsetBut the difficulties in Pot 2 doesn’t stop there. England will also face difficult fixtures against Erling Haaland’s Norway and Sweden.The worst case scenario from Pot 3 would be Georgia, who shocked everybody with strong performances at Euro 2024.The Georgian’s boast Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia among their ranks, with England facing a 2,000 mile trip to the edge of Europe.Wales are in Pot 2 after topping their Nations League group to earn promotion to League AThe worst-case scenario from Pot 4 would be a long journey to the border of West Asia against Azerbaijan, while Moldova are the best ranked Pot 5 side.Being in a five team group could mean games in March and June.This could cause added headaches for Tuchel as several high profile stars are set to play in the Fifa Club World Cup that starts on June 15.England stars who play for Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich will be expected to play for their club teams.Clubs wouldn’t be able to block players from playing for England, that’s against the rules, but players could drop out themselves.Just last week, nine England stars withdrew from Carsley’s final camp citing fitness issues.How do the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers work?A total of 16 Uefa nations will compete at the tournament – an increase of three from the previous edition in 2022.The European Qualifiers are scheduled to begin in March 2025 and end with the play-offs precisely a year later.Teams will play each other home and away. Nations drawn in groups of five will start Qualifying in March and sides drawn in groups of four start their campaigns in September. All groups conclude in November 2025.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe 12 group winners qualify directly, with the four remaining berths determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up.Due to the Nations League play-offs in March, it means only four groups will be complete as of December 13.Forgotten England stars could benefit from Tuchel appointmentWITH Thomas Tuchel announced as the next England manager, a few forgotten stars might be hopeful of a return to the international set up.The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager usually uses a 3-4-3 formation.That could provide an opening for Mason Mount, who’s not been involved in the England set-up since the World Cup in 2022.The now Manchester United star enjoyed his most successful spell under Tuchel while the pair were at Stamford Bridge.Tuchel could also offer lifelines to other previously capped players such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier.RLC has excelled since his move to AC Milan and with England struggling to find a partner for Rice, he could be the surprise answer.Meanwhile, Dier played for Tuchel at Bayern Munich as part of a back-three last season.The defender did enough to convince the club to make his loan move permanent after he had fallen out of favour at Tottenham.Click here to see the full England XI who could play under Tuchel. 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      Thomas Tuchel’s first England XI predicted as German expected to ditch the youngsters for Southgate stars

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      THOMAS TUCHEL has one job —  win the World Cup.It is wishful thinking to believe the incoming England manager will be particularly bothered about blooding more young players.Thomas Tuchel is set to embark on the biggest challenge of his managerial careerCredit: GETTY IMAGESThe fact Tuchel’s contract is for 18 months merely underlines that it is all about the present and not the future.Officially, he starts work on January 1 and, while he has exchanged texts with Lee Carsley, the pair will meet for the first time in the new year.They will reflect on Carsley’s six games as interim manager.With the draw for the World Cup qualifiers on December 13, they will be able to plan for 2025.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLWhile Sunday’s 5-0 win over Ireland showcased some of England’s rising stars, expect many of them to either take a back seat or return to the Under-21s with Carsley.Tuchel is certain to call on experience as he builds towards the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones will definitely have a part to play under the German.Left-footed left-back Lewis Hall, a rare species in England, also has a chance in the next squad, along with Morgan Rogers and Noni Madueke.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBut Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento and Taylor Harwood-Bellis will all have to be patient. Angel Gomes, currently at French club Lille, is out of contract at the end of the season and if he wants to remain on the Tuchel radar, might have to return to the Premier League.What will be a feature of the Tuchel regime is the German’s preference of sticking with tried-and-tested internationals who all played a part in the Gareth Southgate era.Thomas Tuchel ‘was NOT England’s first choice and Pep Guardiola could still get the job’Harry Maguire, axed from Carsley’s second squad, will surely return.Providing he can sort out his varying ailments, left-back Luke Shaw will be parachuted into Tuchel’s starting XI, as long as he does not injure himself again on landing.If he has a few injury issues in  central defence, it would hardly be a surprise if Tuchel turned to Eric Dier, who he signed from Tottenham in January while still  the manager of Bayern Munich.Dier, 30, who often kept Matthijs de Ligt out of the team at Bayern, would be oven-ready to be thrown into a Three Lions squad.The same applies to midfielder Mason Mount, providing he finally overcomes his issues with form and injuries at Manchester United.Under Tuchel, when he was Chelsea manager, Mount delivered the assist for Kai Havertz’s Champions League winner in the 2021 final against Manchester City.Taylor Harwood-Bellis may have to be patient for more England opportunitiesCredit: AlamyMason Mount played a huge role in Tuchel winning the Champions League with ChelseaCredit: GettyEqually, if he can sort himself out under new United manager Ruben Amorim, Marcus Rashford could still have a chance of returning to the England fold.Rashford’s relationship with the international team has been uneasy — and he used to frustrate Southgate with his withdrawals due to injury before playing in the next United game — but a record of 17 goals in 60 caps will not go unnoticed by Tuchel. And he is only 27.Clearly, Tuchel’s biggest challenge will be to get the right balance in midfield.We will not see a repeat of Carsley’s decision to try and fit Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer into the same starting line-up like he did in the 2-1 home loss to Greece.’YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD PLAYERS’Interestingly, Carsley admitted that other national coaches believe this embarrassment of riches in a specific area is actually an issue for England.He said: “A lot of the international coaches at that Uefa thing I went to, at the debrief of Euro 2024, said, ‘You’ve got a lot of good players’ as if that’s a negative thing.“If they’re all in form at exactly the same time, then it’s a challenge but players do come in and out of form.”Tuchel knows he will have to take a firm grip of the team.The fact Jack Grealish and Bellingham took to social media to praise Carsley — while delivering clear digs at Southgate — illustrates that modern players can be hard to please and also have short memories.CAPTAINCY DILEMMAHigh on Tuchel’s to-do list will be the captaincy.The fact Tuchel signed Harry Kane from Spurs shows you exactly what he thinks of the country’s record goalscorer and the pair have a close bond.Whether Kane is a good captain is up for debate and Tuchel’s view on this will be fascinating.Many believe Bellingham should be England’s next leader but Declan Rice — who does seem to be more of a team player — might be better.Regardless, whether it is Kane, Bellingham or Rice who lifts the  trophy after the World Cup final, no one will care.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut whether Tuchel is able to get the team that far remains to be seen.What is beyond doubt is that the German is about to embark on the biggest challenge of his career.Tuchel knows Harry Kane well from their season together at Bayern MunichCredit: APJude Bellingham and Declan Rice could both be candidates for the captaincyCredit: Getty More