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Former England captain John Terry has questioned national team manager Thomas Tuchel’s approach after the German coach was seen furiously shouting at Djed Spence during a World Cup match. The Chelsea legend suggested that Tuchel’s behaviour on the touchline changes depending on the seniority and reputation of the player involved.

Spence, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, started for England in their recent World Cup game against DR Congo. During the match, Tuchel was caught on camera angrily berating the full-back, repeating a similar incident from the earlier fixture against Ghana. The repeated touchline scoldings have raised doubts about Tuchel’s man-management style, especially as several creative players were controversially left out of the squad.

Speaking on Piers Morgan’s World Cup Uncensored show, Terry shared his concern about the optics of Tuchel’s treatment. He implied that younger or less established players are being singled out for harsher criticism than their more famous teammates.

Terry said: “I don’t know if you’ve seen the images and videos of him losing it at Spence again from the throw-in. I’m not saying he’s picking on him, but it looks like he’s having a real go. We saw the training ground incident earlier too, and I’m a bit worried. I really like Tuchel, I think he’s a top, elite manager, but when I see this, I think — if that was Trent, I’m not sure he’d behave like that. I’m not sure he’d talk to Trent like that. Maybe that’s part of why he’s chosen some of these players — because he can be tougher on younger or newer squad members. That’s interesting.”

Tuchel defended his animated coaching style after the goalless draw against Ghana, explaining: “I wanted him to be more involved in our attacking play — to start our moves wider and make more runs beyond the last line. I have to raise my voice because otherwise no one hears me.”

The debate over Tuchel’s management intensified as pundits questioned his controversial selection choices, which saw several high-profile players left out of the tournament squad. Piers Morgan asked Terry whether the issue was more about personality clashes than footballing ability.

The television host added: “Let’s not forget, this is Djed Spence we’re talking about — a bit of a cocky little sod. He’s the one who refused to shake Thomas Frank’s hand, got taken off, and then made a point of offering his hand sarcastically when he came back on.”

Terry interrupted to elaborate on his view of Spence and Tuchel’s inconsistency: “Look, I’m not his biggest fan. I don’t think he’s a great defender or even a great footballer. He’s been part of a struggling Spurs side this season. But I’ll say this — I haven’t seen Tuchel act that way with anyone else. It’s happened two or three times now with Spence. Yet, he still plays him again, which feels like mixed messaging to me.”

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt also criticised Tuchel’s rigid approach to squad selection. Speaking to Paddy Power, he said: “I don’t care what he says — he’ll never admit it — but the squad is wrong. He comes across as stubborn and a bit arrogant, doing exactly what he wants. Deep down he’ll know he should have taken Trent Alexander-Arnold, 100 per cent. With 15 minutes left at 0-0, he’ll be looking at the bench wishing he had a Phil Foden or a Cole Palmer to bring on.”

Tuchel’s England side now face a tough round-of-16 clash against host nation Mexico, a test that will challenge both his tactical decisions and his leadership. The team has been criticised for lacking attacking fluidity, and the intense atmosphere in Mexico will demand composure and unity. Any setback could heighten scrutiny of Tuchel’s selection policy and the notable absences from his World Cup squad.