I have to admit, I was definitely intrigued about new England manager Thomas Tuchel’s first two games in charge. Obviously the most important take-away is that we got six points, scored goals and didn’t concede.
Afterall, both games were at home and, against minnows in the grand scheme of things. I guess there were no shocks in terms of how both teams were going to set up against us either, so it was important that Tuchel had a plan and selected the right players to execute it.
True to form, the media, I think, has been a bit overly harsh on him after these two performances – look at other successful managers – especially at club level. It took Jurgen Klopp at least 12 months to more or less successfully implement the style of play he wanted at Liverpool with the roots of the right team.
The difference with Tuchel, is that he has the players to pick and choose from (club managers need transfer windows), though club managers work with their players on a daily basis.
Also, compared to Gareth Southgate, it is clear that Tuchel is a lot more switched on from a tactical perspective. Yes, both teams we played set up with a low-block – that much pre-game was always going to be the case. But choosing the right players, in the right roles and applying the right tactics and methodology was key.
You could see what Tuchel wanted his players to do – at times we did it well, so the foundation is there – this is something I’m encouraged by, and maybe what the media missed – especially those outlets that aren’t as tactically aware. But, it was clear for me to see that in order to combat the low-block, there was an emphasis on quick passing, movement and interchanging – something that Spain does very well – but they have the personnel.
Positives To Take From These Games
I also think we have the personnel, or at least have the potential to. When you factor in the crop of players that Tuchel has to choose from to fit into his vision – especially talents in the youth teams, then I think we have a bright future under the German manager.
It could be too soon to see us win the World Cup under him playing his style, but if we continue to be progressive and get to a respectable stage, then I could definitely see us winning the European Championship with him in charge (off the back of being offered a longer contract).
One of the highlights for me was the inclusion of Reece James and Tuchel’s decision to start his former player (who he managed at Chelsea), proved to be a masterstroke against Latvia. His free-kick was sublime and he had a very good game overall I thought.
Morgan Rogers was also a shining light on his debut against Latvia and he looks the type of intelligent player that Tuchel likes and will fit into his system very well – his versatility in particular is something that I think England fans will definitely take to. He can play anywhere in the front ‘quadrant’ and I reckon him maybe as an inside forward, Cole Palmer in the hole, Jude Bellingham as an eight and two others (you’d probably say Harry Kane up top for now – given his form) could be very nice to see.
Declan Rice for me also continued to prove why he’s invaluable. When Bellingham went off, his instinct to create the second goal was irrepressible – making a driving run into space to pass it across goal for Kane to convert was an example of his intelligence and in a nutshell, seemed to demonstrate the type of football Tuchel wants us to play.
There are for me, many other positives to take from these two games. Dan Burn showcasing how effective he can be in an England shirt – especially aerially, Myles Lewis-Skelly looks to be a cert for me at left-back for the foreseeable future and bagged on his debut against Albania. Eberechi Eze proved that he can be a game-changer against tougher opposition – also netting a debut goal against Latvia when he came on.
So yeah, there is definitely work to do but, you can see how Tuchel wants us to play and I’m encouraged by this – England fans should be as well.
