Manchester United beat reporter: Tuchel prefers Henderson to Menu, a move that can be described as insulting.

Manchester United midfielder Menou has yet to make an appearance in the World Cup so far. Samuel Luckhurst, Manchester United correspondent for The Sun, wrote that Tuchel's neglect of Manchester United midfielder Menou in this World Cup has become the most puzzling choice.

Even with a broken wrist, Henderson's presence was stronger than that of the healthy substitutes before, during, and after England's unconvincing victory against Norway.

Henderson could still get playing time before Menou – Menou is in the same situation he was in at Manchester United under Amorim. Of England's 23 players in the World Cup squad, only Menou, Chalobah, and Ivan Toni have yet to get playing time.

Chalobah, a former center-back, was called up at the last minute to replace the injured right-back Liframento, a move that was controversial in itself. Toni, who plays in the Saudi league, was selected purely for penalty kicks. If Norwegian goalkeeper Nylan hadn't saved Rodgers' shot, forcing the quarter-final into a penalty shootout, Tuchel's sixth substitution in extra time would have gone to Toni, not Dan Byrne. Menu would have been back on the bench, knowing he wouldn't be making his World Cup debut.

In the previous match against Panama, with the victory already assured, Tuchel fielded the 36-year-old Henderson – a figure who had only started 10 of his last 26 games for Brentford, a truly insulting performance. Last Saturday in Miami, Tuchel again brought on the injured right-back Reece James as a substitute in midfield, partnering Elliott Anderson. James is a versatile player who has played in midfield before, but he had missed the previous three matches, and his first pass after coming on was a direct gift to the opponent.

Tuchel's refusal to use Menu was even more perplexing than Amorin's tactical decisions. At Manchester United, Amorin placed Bruno Fernandes ahead of Menu, who had a top-class season. Fernandes was paired with Casemiro, a balanced and experienced midfield partnership of an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder. When Fernandes suffered a rare injury suspension towards the end of Amorin's tenure, Menu was also sidelined with an injury.

In the England squad, Tuchel seemed to lack trust in Menu in the knockout stage atmosphere. He was more familiar with James, whom he had previously coached, and James had a stronger defensive awareness. Menu also had shortcomings in his own backline; in March, when he made his first start and was included in the squad under Tuchel, he was a fraction too slow in marking Japan when they scored the winning goal at Wembley.

However, Menou displayed discipline in Manchester United's crucial 1-0 away win against Chelsea in April, which Carrick called Menou's "best" performance at the time. Menou wasn't there to gain experience at the World Cup; he has started in the FA Cup final and the European Championship final, and also made a substitute appearance in the Europa League final.

Menou's outstanding form under Carrick, winning 12 of 17 games for Manchester United, helped him edge out other competitors to secure a World Cup spot. In United's few defeats during that period, Menou was either substituted before the last-minute winner against Newcastle or missed the match against Leeds United due to injury.

Tuchel's unconventional player selections have largely backfired in the US. He's a nightmare on the right wing, blindly trusting the injury-prone James, ignoring Arnold, and frequently calling up the inconsistent Madou Kei. His adjustments on the left have also been ineffective. Anthony Gordon racked up three assists, but the credit was overshadowed by brilliant goals from Kane and Bellingham. Spence—a member of what is arguably Tottenham's worst team in 50 years—shouldn't be starting in England in place of Arnold, Luke Shaw, and Hall.

Over-reliance on the team's "cheerleader," Henderson, also backfired, as he received a yellow card and suffered an injury in a friendly match where he wore a vest throughout but did not play. Kane and Bellingham saved an England team that enjoyed a favorable schedule and reached the semi-finals, despite how disjointed the team's operations were.

The name Menu itself implies "functionality," making Tuchel's decision not to use him all the more perplexing. It's hard to imagine Menu having any options against Argentina's aggressive players in the semi-finals. Carrick might be uniquely positioned to coach Menu after the World Cup, having never played a single minute in Capello's chaotic England squad in 2010, along with Hart, Warnock, and Dawson, the other three who didn't play a single minute in South Africa.

Ahead of England's quarter-final match, Manchester United's social media account posted a poorly made image featuring portraits of Menou and Rashford, with Menou's head roughly three times the size of Rashford's. Rashford may not play for Manchester United again, but he has already played and scored for England in the World Cup.