Paul Scholes Questions Declan Rice's Role for England vs DR Congo

Paul Scholes has never been one to tiptoe around a big call. This time, his target is one of the pillars of Thomas Tuchel’s England: Declan Rice.

With England safely through as winners of Group L on seven points and a last-32 tie against DR Congo looming on Wednesday in the United States, the debate around Tuchel’s midfield has sharpened. The 4-2 opening win over Croatia felt like a statement. What followed did not.

A stale, goalless draw with Ghana. A laboured 2-0 win over Panama that only came to life after the hour mark. The results have been acceptable; the football less so.

Rice missed the Panama game, managing an injury issue and protected from suspension after a booking against Ghana. His absence was supposed to be temporary. One of the most consistent midfielders in the game, a World Cup starter almost by default, he is widely expected to walk back into the XI for the DR Congo clash.

Scholes would shut that door.

Scholes: Rice or Anderson – not both

“England don’t need to play two sitting midfielders in the next game,” he said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, cutting straight to the point.

For Scholes, the equation is simple: against a side like DR Congo, who finished third in Group K after beating Uzbekistan, drawing with Portugal and losing to Colombia, England should lean into their attacking talent, not double up on security.

“No disrespect to Congo but in those type of games you play as many attackers as possible,” he said. “I think it has to be a straight shootout between Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, and I think I would just go with Anderson.”

That’s the crux. One holding midfielder. One conductor. And in Scholes’ mind, Anderson, the Nottingham Forest revelation on the brink of a huge move to Manchester City, offers a more progressive edge.

“I think he will pass it forward a bit more,” Scholes argued. Then he went straight for the Arsenal comparison. “Think about Rice with Arsenal… look, he’s a great player and a great leader, I get all that, and you’d rather him in your team than not most of the time.

“But Arsenal didn’t play great football last season either, did they? Rice couldn’t get [Martin] Odegaard in the game, so maybe that’s transferred a bit to England. I don’t think that happens with Anderson.”

It’s a pointed criticism. Not of Rice’s quality, which Scholes repeatedly acknowledges, but of his fit in a side that needs incision rather than insulation in this kind of fixture.

Concerns over England’s World Cup ceiling

Scholes’ doubts stretch beyond one selection call. He is unconvinced by England’s overall level across the three group games, despite the seven points and top spot.

“It wasn’t great, was it?” he said of the Panama performance, a verdict that could easily apply to the group as a whole.

“Across the three games I don’t think I’ve seen a team that will win the World Cup. It hasn’t been great but look, they could get better and they’re winning games and I do think they’ve got match winners in the team.

“I just don’t think they’re at the level of France or Argentina yet.”

That is the tension around this England side. They are getting the job done. They are not yet playing like the heavyweights they aspire to topple.

Butt backs Rice, but agrees on the system

Nicky Butt, Scholes’ former Manchester United and England teammate, sees the midfield picture differently – but only up to a point.

He also believes Tuchel must ditch the double pivot against opponents who are unlikely to dominate the ball.

“You can’t play two sitting midfielders against teams who aren’t going to have any of the possession,” Butt said, echoing Scholes’ structural concern.

Where he parts company is on the identity of the lone anchor.

“I’d definitely play Declan Rice in the next game so I would leave Elliot Anderson out,” Butt insisted. “I think he’s been brilliant and is a top, top, top player which is why Man City have gone and paid £120m for him.

“I just don’t think you can leave Declan Rice out. He’s one of those players you just don’t leave out.”

In Butt’s view, Rice remains non‑negotiable. The leadership, the defensive reading of the game, the big‑tournament experience – you build around that, you don’t bench it.

A defining Tuchel decision

So Tuchel stands at a familiar England crossroads: caution or ambition, reputation or form, security or risk.

DR Congo, with their mixed Group K campaign of a win, a draw and a defeat, will not arrive as favourites. That only heightens the expectation that England should impose themselves, dominate territory and ball, and finally find a rhythm that matches their billing.

Scholes wants the handbrake off and Rice watching on. Butt wants the same tactical tweak, but with Rice as the cornerstone and Anderson sacrificed.

One of them will be disappointed when the teamsheet drops. The more important question is whether Tuchel’s choice will finally make England look like a team ready to stand alongside France and Argentina – or confirm that, for all the talent and all the talk, they are still chasing their level on the biggest stage.