Tuchel Praises Barry's Tactical Shift with Rice as England Star Reflects on Tough Stint

Thomas Tuchel didn’t try to claim the credit. When England needed a spark – and some control – the decisive tweak came from the man next to him on the bench.

After the match, the England boss revealed it was assistant coach Anthony Barry who spotted the opening and pushed for Declan Rice to be shifted out to right-back. It sounded simple. It changed everything.

“Anthony Barry had a brilliant idea to put Declan there,” Tuchel admitted, as quoted by The Sun. The logic was clear: Rice’s passing and delivery from wider areas, extra security on the flank, and a different kind of cross to ask new questions of a tiring defence.

“To have his quality from the side, to get more difficult crosses in there, more difficult to defend, more crosses and outswingers,” Tuchel explained. The move thickened England’s presence down the right, where Bukayo Saka had been fighting his battle largely alone.

With Eberechi Eze drifting into those pockets on that side, the reshuffle suddenly gave England a triangle, not a straight line. “Also have a bit more support for Bukayo and with Ebs we had a bit more of a connection on the right side that helped and opened it up. So full credit to my assistant,” Tuchel added.

The pressure finally told. Rice, now operating from deeper and wider, played a key role in the build-up to the equaliser, helping England pin their opponents back and recycle the ball with more authority. From the touchline, it looked like a smart, almost seamless tactical win.

On the pitch, it felt very different.

For Rice, those closing stages were a blur of sprints, duels and defensive decisions in a position he still doesn’t fully call home. The Arsenal midfielder, usually the heartbeat in the centre of the park, suddenly had the entire right side to police.

“It was probably the hardest 12 minutes of the game having a stint at right back,” he said afterwards. The match had turned wild, end to end, and England were dragged into a rhythm he described in blunt terms.

“In games like that it was probably too much of a basketball match at times, back and forth, and we had to take the sting out of it because they have fast wingers.”

He knew exactly what was at stake. One mistimed step, one wrong body shape, and that flank could be exposed. Instead, Rice dug in, even as the chaos swirled around him.

“I think we made more hard work of it than we needed to,” he admitted. “I have played there two or three times this season, I know the role, it is probably not my biggest strength but to do anything for the team and the manager.”

That last line tells you why Barry’s idea worked in practice. Tactical innovation only matters if players buy in. With 12 minutes left, Rice didn’t hesitate.

“12 minutes left I said I would do my best and I think I did well there. Let’s see what happens next game but hopefully I don’t have to be at right back.”

Tuchel and Barry now know they have an emergency option that can tilt a game and lock down a side of the pitch. Rice knows he can survive – and influence – those punishing minutes out wide.

The question is whether England dare turn to that card again when the stakes rise even higher.