Thomas Tuchel's treatment of Djed Spence has become a World Cup talking point after England's manager was heard shouting at him from the touchline. John Terry sees a manager going too far. Fabian Hurzeler sees something different, and he has pushed back on the idea that Spence is being bullied.

Terry's complaint and Hurzeler's defence

Terry's criticism is straightforward enough. He said Tuchel seemed to have a “proper dig” at Spence again, and that he was “a little bit worried” by what he had seen in the training ground and in matches. That is the harder edge of the debate, because the public tone has been unusually sharp.

Hurzeler rejected the bullying reading. “No. For me, it seems the opposite,” he said, before adding that Tuchel has “a clear profile regarding his full-backs. Clear demands, clear expectations and clear profile in what a full-back should be doing in his system.” He also said Tuchel wants full-backs to be playmakers with deep runs and overlaps.

That gives the shouting a footballing frame. Tuchel's touchline instructions have not looked random, they have looked specific. One of them was blunt enough to make the rounds: “Djed, Djed, Djed, wake up! Wake up!”

Spence still has Tuchel's trust

The other side of the story is the playing time. Spence has featured in all four of England's World Cup matches, and he has started two of them. He has been used at both left and right-back, which suggests Tuchel is still willing to put him on the pitch even while demanding more from him.

Reece James has been absent from England's last two matches because of a hamstring issue, so the full-back picture has also been shaped by availability. Spence's 180 minutes in the tournament and his 6.66 average rating show a player who has stayed in the frame rather than been pushed out of it.

The shouting, then, looks less like a sign that Tuchel has already turned against him and more like a coach trying to squeeze a clearer version out of a player he still trusts. Terry is right that the public criticism is unusually visible. Hurzeler is right that the usage data points the other way. Spence is still on the pitch, and England's final World Cup matches will show whether Tuchel keeps backing him or leans elsewhere.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →