Thomas Tuchel is simplifying England’s tactical approach to ignite a World Cup push, focusing on clarity and intensity over complex strategies. He’s streamlining the squad, reducing tactical tinkering, and prioritizing player understanding to unlock England’s attacking potential and overcome stubborn defensive opponents.
Thomas Tuchel, since taking the reins of the England national team, has always emphasized the importance of passion, unity, and high-intensity play. He envisioned a team brimming with the Premier League's fiery spirit—a band of brothers encouraging each other, selflessly fighting for every ball. However, translating this vision onto the pitch has proven more complex than initially anticipated.
Tuchel's core philosophy revolves around energy and relentless intensity, especially after losing possession. Quick tracking back, an unwavering commitment to expressiveness, and a dynamic attacking structure around Harry Kane are all crucial. Kane, he believes, can drop deeper, but only if there's sufficient speed and intelligent movement around him to exploit the space created.
“It is our job to make it quickly understandable, to make it easier to transform it on to the pitch,” Tuchel stated upon announcing his first squad, setting the stage for the World Cup qualifiers. Yet, the journey hasn't been entirely smooth. Last season, particularly during the June camp, the team's performances felt somewhat lackluster. A narrow 1-0 victory against Andorra in Barcelona and a subsequent 3-1 defeat to Senegal at the City Ground raised questions about the team's direction, despite earlier comfortable wins against Albania and Latvia.
While Tuchel hasn't endured a disastrous start—boasting three wins from three qualifiers without conceding a goal—he recognizes the need for adjustments. The Senegal loss, being a friendly, offered a chance to experiment, but June's international window often presents unique challenges. As Tuchel looks ahead to what he deems the "real business" of a World Cup season, he aims to refine his approach.
He senses a shift in the team's atmosphere this week as they prepare for the return fixture against Andorra at Villa Park, followed by a crucial match against Serbia in Belgrade. Tuchel believes he has identified the key to unlocking the team's potential: streamlining tactics, enhancing precision, and fostering greater clarity.
Initially, Tuchel cast a wide net, utilizing 28 players in his first four games, with several others remaining as unused substitutes or omitted from matchday squads altogether. This approach, while intended to evaluate talent, created a crowded environment that lacked the desired “right energy.” Consequently, he has trimmed his selection to a more focused group of 24 players, aiming to intensify competition for places.
Reflecting on the warm-weather training week in Barcelona before the previous Andorra game—which included a team bonding experience at the Spanish Grand Prix—Tuchel acknowledged that the extended preparation felt drawn out. This time, he shortened the pre-match preparation by asking players to report later, aiming to maintain sharper focus.
The most significant shift lies in Tuchel's approach to training, specifically the tactical aspect. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Tuchel now believes that less can be more in international football. He realized that the limited time available with international squads necessitates a simplified approach.
“You don’t have the players on a daily basis where you can really tweak into the details,” Tuchel explained. “We want to be more clear, more easy, because we have so many players from different clubs so they’re used to a different style. If we implement a lot of new things in only four days of training, it’s just not enough time. So we need to find an idea where everyone can buy in quickly and everyone drops their club heads. It’s more about principles and building it from a structure that everyone can understand. This is where I have to adapt.”
“I tried to give solutions in the first two camps through the structure. We played different structures in the buildup and put players in new positions. Maybe I underestimated the effect that it has. It was a learning. Maybe we translated it a little too much from club football and we need to take a step back to speed up our game with a bit more freedom and less changes within the structure. Maybe the solution comes from running more, from more energy, than the structure.”
Tuchel has essentially selected two players for each position, providing clarity regarding their roles. For instance, Tino Livramento competes with Reece James at right-back, while Djed Spence is an option at left-back against Myles Lewis-Skelly. Dan Burn and Marc Guéhi are the choices at left centre-back, and Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are the No. 8 options. While acknowledging the need for some flexibility, Tuchel emphasized a focus on specific roles within a defined structure. The same applies to the formation. While a back five remains a potential option, Tuchel stated that the immediate focus for the upcoming camps in October and November is on a 4-2-3-1 formation.
“This is where the focus is at the moment,” he said. “We have these three camps now and it’s not very likely that we will change [to three centre-backs] in these camps. But then we have March and it’s not so hard to learn to play in a back five. We told the players where they compete. We told them the formation that we’re going to play in these two matches. Once you have clarity, intensity will rise and follow.”
Tuchel anticipates facing deep-lying defenses against Andorra and Serbia, a persistent challenge for England in qualifying matches. "It’s like chewing gum," Tuchel quipped, referring to the monotony of trying to break through these tightly packed defenses. Ultimately, success hinges on attitude. "Does the group love to play for England or do they just like to play for England?" Tuchel questioned. More than that, it’s about demonstrating a clear identity and implementing effective solutions.