Rooney backs Tuchel's gut-feeling call to start Rogers against Argentina in World Cup semi-final

Wayne Rooney has backed Thomas Tuchel’s decision to start Morgan Rogers against Argentina in England’s World Cup semi-final, calling it the mark of a top manager willing to trust his instincts over conventional selection logic.

BBC lead presenter Mark Chapman noticed during the pre-match coverage that Rooney had written down Tuchel’s explanation for picking the Aston Villa forward ahead of Bukayo Saka on the right flank. Tuchel had cited Rogers’ cameo in England’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway as the catalyst, describing it as ‘special’.

“You’ve just written down on your notes that you really like the ‘it’s just a feeling’ response when he talked about selecting Morgan Rogers,” Chapman said to Rooney on air.

Rooney was unequivocal in his support. “I like that. Normally managers look at tactically how they want to play and how fresh the players are and how ready they are. But I think that top managers go on a feeling. He obviously has a feeling Morgan Rogers can have a big impact on this game. That’s what he believes and he’s gone with it. I really like that.”

Fellow pundit Micah Richards pointed to Rogers’ positional flexibility as a key factor in Tuchel’s thinking. “The good thing with Morgan Rogers is he can come off the left, he can play in the centre and he can come off the right and do all those roles effectively,” Richards said. “That’s the most important thing about it.”

Tuchel himself was candid about the reasoning behind the selection. “It’s a feeling from the coach — a gut feeling. I feel that he has something special to give today,” the Germany-born coach said. “I felt he was very strong in the match against Norway. In between, he had outstanding training sessions to follow up on that performance. It’s just a feeling.”

Rogers, 23, scored 11 goals and provided seven assists for Aston Villa last season but has had limited England opportunities, largely due to the form of Jude Bellingham, who enters the semi-final as England’s joint-top scorer in the tournament with six goals. The Manchester City academy product’s inclusion against Argentina represents his most high-profile start for the national side.