England's players spent their first evening at the World Cup confined to their hotel after a 'deadly' tornado warning struck Kansas City, prompting emergency alerts that forced the Three Lions squad to take shelter. The warning came just three days before Thomas Tuchel's side open their campaign against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.
The storm disrupted preparations for a team already grappling with high expectations. Tuchel, handed the daunting challenge of ending England's 60-year wait for major silverware, is earning £4.9m a year — the fourth-highest salary among World Cup coaches, according to reports. Only Brazil's Carlo Ancelotti (£8.5m), Germany's Julian Nagelsmann (£5.9m) and USA boss Mauricio Pochettino (£5.1m) earn more.
“England squad confined to hotel after deadly tornado warning in Kansas City, three days before World Cup opener.”
On the pitch, debate swirls around Tuchel's starting XI. BBC Sport pundits have weighed in, with former England forward Alan Shearer and ex-goalkeeper Paul Robinson offering their picks. 'I would start Reece James, if he is fully fit,' Robinson said. 'I would go with John Stones instead of Ezri Konsa, even though Konsa has been really reliable. I just believe on the ball at international football Stones can dictate.'
At left-back, Robinson chose Nico O'Reilly over Djed Spence, who started the friendly against New Zealand. 'Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice — pretty much what everyone expects,' he added. 'Jude Bellingham, I would start him ahead of Morgan Rogers in a number 10 position because he is a big game player. I think he is a genuine superstar. I think there is two genuine stars in him and Harry Kane.'
Shearer, meanwhile, backed Bellingham's form in warm-up games. 'I fully expect John Stones to play, but I would actually go with Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi at the back.' Both pundits agreed on Jordan Pickford in goal and Bukayo Saka out wide, with Harry Kane leading the line. Robinson selected Marcus Rashford over Anthony Gordon.
'I hate doing stuff like this,' Robinson admitted. 'I have picked this XI as I think it is the most well-balanced team to set the tournament up. By no way, shape or form do I think that this squad will play every game. You could change seven of those because the squad is so good.'
As the storm passes and the squad emerge from their hotel, the bigger question remains: can Tuchel, on £4.9m a year, deliver what no England manager has managed in six decades?