Tuchel makes initial moves in his English adventure with eyes set on World Cup success

More than five months after being named England's newest manager, Thomas Tuchel will assume control of the team for the first time this Friday when they face Albania in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley Stadium.

Tuchel has no misconceptions about his goals with England since he was granted a contract lasting only until the conclusion of next year's World Cup.

England hasn't claimed victory in a significant competition since their win at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, even though they've nearly broken this losing streak in recent times.

During Gareth Southgate’s tenure before Tuchel, they suffered defeat in the UEFA Europa Championship final twice and advanced deep into the previous two FIFA World Cup tournaments.

The English Football Association has placed significant faith in Tuchel’s history of consistent success at clubs like Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain, despite criticisms for bypassing trust in an English manager to lead this gifted group of athletes.

A qualifying group that includes Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra should present minimal challenges for the team ranked fourth globally.

However, the following week will provide some indications of what to anticipate from Tuchel's involvement with England.

His initial team selection included several unexpected choices.

After sitting out during the final phase of Southgate's tenure and under interim manager Lee Carsley, Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford made their comeback.

A debutant spot was also given to 32-year-old Dan Burn, the Newcastle defender who found the back of the net during Sunday’s League Cup final victory against Liverpool.

Tuchel firmly believed that all three players have genuine chances to make it to the World Cup, emphasizing that a mix of seasoned pros and rising stars is essential for success in major international competitions.

Henderson has not featured for England since November 2023, but Tuchel believes the 34-year-old Ajax midfielder can still play a vital role.

Tuchel stated, 'He’s a consistent champion known for his personality and character. In every team he joins, he acts as the binding force, and he will continue to be the element that brings out something extraordinary.'

Southgate and Carsley were eager to foster and nurture youthful potential.

However, by supporting players like Henderson, Burns, and Kyewalker, Tuchel is prioritizing experience.

-'High-intensity' playing style

Post-mortem analyses of England’s major tournaments frequently center on emulating the player-development strategies employed by France, Germany, or Spain.

However, Tuchel appears eager to leverage the 'DNA' of English soccer by adopting the speed and physicality characteristic of the Premier League.

"The Premier League is highly physically challenging and quite straightforward in style. I believe we ought to have the courage to play with the spirit of an English team and shouldn’t strive to emulate other countries’ approaches excessively," he stated.

Tuchel has called for increased "pace and vigor" from his team members.

However, he is already recognizing the challenge of adopting that approach under potentially scorching conditions in the USA, Mexico, and Canada next year, which would come at the conclusion of an exhausting season for his team.

For just this team, he lacks six first-choice players: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, and Ollie Watkins, all due to injuries.

Southgate changed England from being consistent underperformers to frequent participants in big competitions.

Tuchel is cautious about discarding Southgate's mostly effective strategy, but he aims to enhance minor aspects throughout the qualification phase with the hope of laying the groundwork to win the World Cup for the first time in six decades.

He stated that if we aim to be ready for the upcoming finale and to take the final leap, we must start doing so right away during our initial training session.

We have just six training camps before the World Cup, which gives us only 60 days. Therefore, we must cherish each day and ensure everything is perfect. If we succeed in doing this, ideally, the final stage will manage itself.

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