Barry Fry Blasts Thomas Tuchel for Snubbing Ivan Toney and Wrecking England’s World Cup Hopes

Barry Fry is still seething. The veteran football man who first spotted Ivan Toney’s raw talent and gave him a proper platform at Peterborough United has accused Thomas Tuchel of single-handedly wrecking England’s latest World Cup campaign by leaving the striker on the sidelines for far too long. In characteristically blunt fashion, the 81-year-old claimed the German coach “f***ed it up” by failing to use a player who was uniquely prepared for the punishing heat of the tournament in the United States and Mexico.

Fry, who rescued Toney’s career after the forward was discarded by Newcastle, sold him to Brentford six years ago and has watched with pride as the striker carved out a successful path that eventually took him to Saudi Arabia. When Tuchel named Toney in the England squad, Fry was genuinely delighted. He believed the call-up was a smart piece of thinking from the new manager. Most pundits were surprised by the selection, but Fry knew exactly what Toney could offer. The player had spent recent seasons scoring freely in the intense heat of the Saudi Pro League and was, in Fry’s view, the only forward in the squad properly acclimatised to the conditions the Three Lions would face.

Yet once the tournament began, Tuchel barely turned to him. Toney was ignored for the bulk of the campaign. By the time England’s hopes of lifting the trophy had evaporated, the damage was done. The German finally introduced the striker for just two minutes of stoppage time in the heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Argentina. He then handed Toney a start in the third-place play-off against France, but by then the golden chance of winning another star for the shirt had already slipped away. In Fry’s eyes, that limited involvement was a catastrophic misjudgement.

“We f***ed it up and there’s only one man to blame,” Fry said, still clearly furious at how events unfolded. He pointed out that Toney had proven himself a consistent goal threat in Saudi Arabia across two seasons and was ideally suited to the climate. Fry had expected Harry Kane to struggle with the physical demands of playing full matches in the heat. Kane ultimately performed better than anticipated, yet still looked drained when forced to drop deeper and defend in the second half against Argentina. Even then, Toney remained unused until the dying moments.

Fry’s admiration for Toney runs deep and is rooted in their time together at Peterborough. The striker was not only a clinical finisher but also one of the side’s most effective defenders at set-pieces. Fry described him as a genuine nuisance to opposition centre-backs, a player who could unsettle experienced defenders, force mistakes, and often provoke bookings or worse. That physical, confrontational style, Fry argued, was precisely what England needed when they sat deep and allowed Argentina to dominate possession. Holding the ball up the pitch and causing chaos in the opposition box might have changed the complexion of the semi-final. Instead, England absorbed pressure and ultimately paid the price.

The criticism comes at a sensitive moment for Tuchel. After the disappointment of the World Cup, the German publicly suggested the players’ “DNA” played a part in the failure to go all the way. Despite the result, the Football Association has kept faith with him. A new contract signed before the tournament effectively tied their hands, and Tuchel will remain in charge as England prepare to host Euro 2028 on home soil. By then Kane will be approaching 34, while Toney will still be two years younger. Fry expressed hope that the manager might yet give the striker another opportunity to prove himself on the international stage.

The episode highlights a recurring theme in English football: the difficulty of integrating players who have left the Premier League for different leagues and environments. Toney’s move to Al-Ahli raised eyebrows at the time, yet it gave him regular football and valuable experience in extreme heat. Fry believes that background should have counted for more when the tournament schedule and conditions became clear. Instead, the squad largely stuck with more familiar options until it was too late.

Supporters and former colleagues of Toney have long praised his work rate, aerial ability and willingness to put himself about. Those qualities made him a favourite under Fry at London Road and later helped him become a key figure at Brentford before the big-money move to the Middle East. Fry’s frustration is therefore personal as well as professional. He sees a player who could have offered something different in the biggest matches of the summer, and he cannot understand why that option was left unused for so long.

Tuchel’s decision-making will continue to be debated as the post-mortem of England’s campaign rolls on. The manager will have his own explanations for the limited minutes given to certain squad members. What is clear is that one of English football’s most colourful and outspoken figures remains convinced a different approach with Toney could have altered the outcome. Whether that view is shared more widely remains to be seen, but Fry is not softening his stance.

As England look ahead to the next major tournament on home soil, the focus will shift to squad evolution. Kane’s age will become an increasing factor, and younger or differently experienced strikers will push for places. Fry’s message is straightforward: do not overlook a player who has already shown he can thrive in demanding conditions and who brings a disruptive presence that can unsettle even the best defences. For now, the old-school football man is still angry about what he regards as a wasted opportunity in the summer of 2026. In his view, the blame rests squarely with the man in the dugout.