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The Pink's Call
Pink's Call
Close isn't a cap, Thomas
Thomas Tuchel left Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall out of England's squad on Friday morning and called him "close". By Friday night the Everton midfielder had an assist, a goal and three points. That is not a man who needs another lecture about where he fits on a tactics board.
Tuchel's explanation was neat enough. "I don't see him in central midfield — more as an eight or a 10, in the finishing part of the game," he told the BBC. "The competition is very, very high in our squad in this position." Dewsbury-Hall was in the World Cup 55. He is "very close". Fine. Close does not get you a seat on the plane to Croatia.
What happened next is the bit England should actually study. Dewsbury-Hall crossed for Thierno Barry's equaliser against Coventry, then finished the night himself from a tight angle after Barry's through ball. Sky Sports noted it as a response to the snub. It looked like a midfielder who finishes games, which is rather the role Tuchel says he wants.
England's midfield is stacked. Nobody is arguing for a free pass. But form is form, and Everton have climbed into fifth with Dewsbury-Hall central to it. If the threshold is "finishing part of the game", Friday night was a case study. If the threshold is club badge and reputation, say so.
The Pink's call: watch the tape, not the role chart. Cap the players who are deciding Premier League matches in November. "Very close" is a compliment. A call-up is a decision.
Facts from BBC Sport, Sky Sports. Opinion is the Pink's own.