Paul Scholes Calls for Declan Rice to Be Dropped from England's XI
Paul Scholes has never been shy of a strong opinion, and this time his gaze has fallen on one of England’s untouchables.
On the eve of a World Cup knockout tie against DR Congo in the United States, the Manchester United legend has called for Thomas Tuchel to drop Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice from England’s starting XI.
Scholes: Rice out, Anderson in
England have done the first part of the job. Seven points from nine, top of Group L, and a place in the last 32 secured. A 4-2 dismantling of Croatia set the tone, but the gloss has faded since. A lifeless stalemate against Ghana, then a laboured 2-0 win over Panama in which England needed more than an hour to finally break through.
Rice sat out that Panama match, managing an injury concern and protected from suspension after a yellow card against Ghana. He is widely regarded as one of the most complete midfielders in the game and is expected to walk straight back into Tuchel’s line-up on Wednesday night.
Scholes would slam that door shut.
“England don’t need to play two sitting midfielders in the next game,” he said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. “No disrespect to Congo but in those type of games you play as many attackers as possible. I think it has to be a straight shootout between Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, and I think I would just go with Anderson.
“I think he will pass it forward a bit more.”
That is the crux of Scholes’ argument: risk, ambition, vertical passes. He pointed to Rice’s role in an Arsenal side that, in his view, never fully clicked with the ball last season.
“Think about Rice with Arsenal… look, he’s a great player and a great leader, I get all that, and you’d rather him in your team than not most of the time.
“But Arsenal didn’t play great football last season either, did they? Rice couldn’t get [Martin] Odegaard in the game, so maybe that’s transferred a bit to England. I don’t think that happens with Anderson.”
England’s stutter and the bigger picture
The criticism lands because the performances have left the door open. Tuchel’s team looked vibrant and ruthless in that opening win over Croatia, moving the ball quickly, swarming the box, and striking four times. Since then, the tempo has dipped. The Ghana draw was flat. The win over Panama, functional rather than frightening.
“It wasn’t great, was it?” Scholes said of the Panama display.
Across the group stage, he has not seen a side he believes can go all the way.
“Across the three games I don’t think I’ve seen a team that will win the World Cup.
“It hasn’t been great but look, they could get better and they’re winning games and I do think they’ve got match winners in the team.
“I just don’t think they’re at the level of France or Argentina yet.”
That is the standard England are being held to: not just winning, but winning like the giants of the modern game.
Butt backs Rice – but only one holder
Scholes is not alone in wanting Tuchel to loosen the handbrake in midfield. His former United and England teammate Nicky Butt agrees that England should not field two deep-lying midfielders against a DR Congo side unlikely to dominate the ball.
The split comes over who should make way.
“You can’t play two sitting midfielders against teams who aren’t going to have any of the possession,” Butt said.
“I’d definitely play Declan Rice in the next game so I would leave Elliot Anderson out.
“I think he’s been brilliant and is a top, top, top player which is why Man City have gone and paid £120m for him.
“I just don’t think you can leave Declan Rice out. He’s one of those players you just don’t leave out.”
Anderson, the Nottingham Forest midfielder on the verge of a £116m move to Manchester City, has surged into the conversation on the back of that form and price tag. Butt admires him, but when the knockout stage starts, he trusts Rice’s authority, experience and big-game presence.
Tuchel’s midfield gamble
The debate leaves Tuchel with a clear tactical question before DR Congo, who scraped through in third place in Group K after beating Uzbekistan, drawing with Portugal and losing to Colombia.
Does he double up with two holders and risk another slow, predictable performance? Does he take Scholes’ route, pick Anderson over Rice and lean hard into attacking fluency? Or does he follow Butt’s line, keep Rice as the anchor and sacrifice Anderson to maintain balance?
England are winning, but not yet convincing. The margins tighten from here. One decision in the middle of the pitch could define whether this campaign finally ends those 60 years of hurt, or simply adds another chapter to them.
