Tuchel is still learning but the clock is ticking
Thomas Tuchel does not have time on his side after opting not to oversee England’s Nations League games in November. He has looked to hit the ground running, just as he did when he won the Champions League four months after joining Chelsea, but building rhythm in international football is not easy. The players are not around for long and some games drift into irrelevance. Tuchel has started with two straightforward wins but neither set the pulse racing. The awkward reality is that qualification lacks jeopardy these days.
England were under no threat of losing against Albania and Latvia, so all eyes were on the quality of their performances. Tuchel, having delivered a searing critique of the team’s displays under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024, was after identity, intensity and excitement. He has talked about imposing an aggressive Premier League style. The issue is that doing so is challenging against opponents who arrive at Wembley focused on damage limitation. It was pass, pass, pass from England but both games were pretty turgid. Tuchel will see room for improvement. He must consider, too, whether gung-ho football is possible against good opponents, particularly in the heat of an American summer. He could do with the Football Association organising some tough friendlies before the World Cup.
Bellingham could define England’s World Cup
The sense that it was too easy against Latvia, who are 140th in the Fifa rankings, was heightened by Jude Bellingham producing an unfocused display. He played with desire but wanted too much time on the ball. Tuchel wants him to be more tactically and mentally disciplined. He will not have liked Bellingham earning a booking for a foul moments after sloppily losing possession. Bellingham still needs to direct all that energy into more positive areas. He was hugely fortunate not to receive a second booking for a rash tackle in the second half. Would he enjoy such leniency in a tournament game? Unlikely. England need Bellingham to be more mature. He has to be more efficient and less impetuous. England need the Bellingham who carved Albania open with a superb assist for Myles Lewis-Skelly. That player can drive a team to glory. The petulant version could drag them down.
Ups and downs in defence
Tuchel has food for thought at full‑back. There was a debut goal from Lewis-Skelly and plenty of evidence that the 18-year-old is an asset at left-back. There was also Reece James making his first start for England since September 2022, scoring his first international goal. He is back from injury and Tuchel, unlike Enzo Maresca, regards the Chelsea captain as a right-back rather than a midfielder. The question is whether James possesses the physicality of old. A lovely free-kick against Latvia underlined the brilliance of his right foot but there were some rusty moments in defence.
Ultimately the back four is far from set. Dan Burn, the Newcastle centre-back, did not convince against Albania and Tuchel does not seem sure on Marc Guéhi. He dropped Guéhi against Albania and the Crystal Palace defender, one of England’s best players at the Euros, was involved in an early mix-up with Jordan Pickford against Latvia.
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Wide players mostly flatter to deceive
The nature of these games made it hard for the wingers to impress. They were up against deep defences, limiting their space to go round the back. Even so Tuchel wanted more. He felt that Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford did not make a big enough impact against Albania and there was a quiet display from Jarrod Bowen against Latvia. Morgan Rogers did well but Bukayo Saka was missed on the right. Eberechi Eze had a good cameo against Latvia, scoring his first goal, but the sense is that some of the biggest winners were those who were not selected or not available. Noni Madueke will have a chance of a recall once he returns from a hamstring injury and Tuchel has given Jack Grealish hope of a recall. Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, who has been with the under‑21s, will also have a chance if he maintains his rise.
Get Wharton in next time
It must be pointed out that the wingers need help from their teammates. Tuchel was frustrated that the ball often did not reach Foden and Rashford quickly enough. England have to raise the tempo. It comes back to the state of their midfield. They still lack a player who can link defence and attack; a player capable of fizzing risky early passes into the forwards. Adam Wharton is worth a look next time. The Crystal Palace midfielder does not have a high pass completion rate but that suggests he is trying to make things happen. England should have a proper look at him. The fact that Tuchel is getting his full-backs to invert suggests that England are again having to adjust to their lack of control in midfield. They need a specialist. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is also pushing.