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There were almost as many contentious decisions in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad as decisions made.
England supporters and pundits are easy to divide and there's no better opportunity to do it than in the foothills of a major tournament summer. Tuchel isn't in the business of making choices for any other motivation than results, but one gets the impression he cares not for naysaying when it comes to his plans.
The England boss signed a two-year contract extension in February but World Cup 2026 is and always has been the focus of his appointment. The work of the Three Lions in getting to major semi-finals and finals was a big step forward and Tuchel's most attractive selling point was a ruthless knack for getting over the line.
Jordan Henderson isn't in the World Cup squad to make up the numbers
At 35 years old, Jordan Henderson has become a poster boy for England's perceived inability to move forward, to make brave and ambitious selections that leave behind the favourites of the last generation before their deteriorating legs take the choice away.
Yet there's a reason why Henderson in particular is the man first Gareth Southgate and now Tuchel have kept around. The furore of his short-lived Saudi Pro League stint aside, he is a respected elder statesman of the game behind closed doors.
It's too simplistic to look at Henderson's age, even his realistic ceiling compared to the competition around him, and write his inclusion off as an oversight or a misstep. The experience he brings, the respect he commands, can make a difference at a major tournament.
In the age of the 26-player squad, teams at the World Cup can take flyer on certain components and having a senior player who knows the score and sets an example could be among the most potent.
England supporters shouldn't take for granted a continuation of previous major tournament progress but the evidence of those since 2018 is that the Three Lions have been close.
With 26 places to play with, there's no real reason not to take a chance that Henderson's experience offers an edge worth having even if he doesn't play all that much in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
There were other ways to have Henderson at the World Cup. Tuchel and the FA can populate their travelling party more or less as they please.
The idea of the veteran tagging along as a cheerleader instead of filling one of the 26 squad places has been mooted. He could have been involved in the early part of the World Cup as a member of England's additional training squad allocation.
Neither is the same as Henderson being in the squad. He is, after all, an active Premier League captain in all but name and not some ceremonial charity case. There's being there, and there's being in – the dressing room knows the difference.
Henderson is a known quantity in this regard. His advocates within the game range far and wide, and Brentford's first Premier League season under rookie manager Keith Andrews is all the evidence Tuchel could need that Henderson specifically warrants his trust.
The Bees missed out on a European place on goal difference and that, after the upheaval of last summer, is no joke. Henderson more than played his part in that.
Adam Wharton's exclusion is the most common point of opposition to Henderson occupying a place in England's World Cup squad. In FourFourTwo's opinion, the two matters can and should be separated.
The Crystal Palace midfielder is a noteworthy omission but Henderson hasn't necessarily been called up at Wharton's expense. England's straightforward options in the middle are Henderson, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Elliot Anderson.
Could Wharton have been accommodated by reducing the number of defenders from nine? Possibly.
There might even have been a case for picking Wharton ahead of Mainoo and sure, Henderson's part of that conversation too, but these decisions and their consequences are only Tuchel's to bear.
The England manager believes his squad is better for Henderson's involvement. New contract or not, he'll be judged on that at the end of England's World Cup. Until then, it's a wasted spot, a motivational masterstroke, either, neither, or both.
