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so, England They became the first European team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but the real wonder is whether that actually says anything more about their ability to finish first next summer.
thomas tuchel Of course, it acknowledged that this was what was expected, but also said that it should not be taken for granted that this is a historic achievement, even though it 5-0 in front of some trees Riga wasn’t exactly Stockholm 1989 or Rome 1997. There was no need for bloodied bandages, as seen with Terry Butcher and Paul Ince in those games.
Instead it couldn’t have been easier, as Latvia made it six wins from six, conceding 18 goals and not conceding a single goal. almost right,
And this is something that has been of more interest to Tuchel, as he wants England to qualify in line with his expectations. So, after a relatively slow start, the German side have started to pick up some real momentum – especially in attack. There is increasing cohesion in the front row, the selected players complement each other. Morgan Rodgers’ cleverness is ideal for runs alongside world-class scorers such as Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka harry kane Looking to be the best tactical fit in the England team for some time.
Gordon and the captain scored excellent goals of varying quality, with Kane scoring his 75th and 76th goals for his country.
Through it all, there was real symbolism and significance to England qualifying so early. When you look at the international game right now – and particularly the results this break – they are arguably one of the seven teams that currently look capable of winning this World Cup.
England are certainly fourth or fifth on the list with Spain, Argentina, France, probably Portugal and then possibly the Netherlands and Brazil.
At the moment it is not that scary. The field is certainly nothing like 1998 or 2002, when many of the major nations had absolutely tons of teams.
Of course, there is an irony that the newly laid out calendar ensured that many of those squads did not get the chance to showcase the quality they had in a tumultuous 2002, and there may even be some echoes in this absurdly bloated 48-team tournament.
England will not be able to press the way they have in recent games in the heat of North America next summer, and that is one of the few issues Tuchel is trying to combat right now.
After all, despite an excellent record, it is far from the truth that England are a perfect team. Tuchel still has a lot of work to do, not least the psychological hurdle associated with becoming a major nation that has waited the longest for an international trophy.
However, beyond that, many of the same key nations would love to take issue with Tuchel right now – not least Italy and his own German team.
He is said to be still thinking about a left-back, although Miles Lewis-Skelley seems to be making the answer clearer with every performance. The only possible doubt rests on the teenager’s relative inexperience with regard to tournament football and his lack of game time for Arsenal.
Tuchel is also being considered, who plays opposite him on the left wing. He clearly wants real pace from Kane, and that was clear as Gordon marked his good performance with a goal at the same moment the manager talked about Marcus Rashford being more likely.
England have plenty of options in positions around Kane, as opposed to central defense and central midfield.
Many of these games are ultimately about England trying to figure out how to “control” the game when they don’t have Martin Zubimendi.
This indirectly raises another issue. To win these matches and qualify, Tuchel will have to figure out how to beat the lesser blocks, who will not be a decisive challenge when it comes to sealing real silverware.
There are still some unknowns there until he can prepare for a proper tournament knockout against top competition. All he can do now is try to give himself options and put as many pieces in place as possible.
Which of course brings us to the main issue for Tuchel, even if he absolutely denies there is anything to talk about. That’s constant exclusion Jude BellinghamWas placed as his best match winner.
Tuchel won’t say this explicitly – and Phil Foden’s exclusion gives him a certain “cover” – but it’s hard not to see it as “political”, as the manager is clearly showing the player that there are certain team and tactical standards everyone has to conform to if they want to join in.
If that is indeed the case, then England may need similar management. Tuchel may have apologized for using the word “repulsive” about Bellingham’s behavior in June, but he did not apologize for a more pointed comment made around the same time. That is, the Real Madrid forward can “intimidate” teammates.
It is also noteworthy that many people have recently talked about the good atmosphere in the camp.
None of this should be taken as an argument for ruling out a player as good as Bellingham from the World Cup, but if a manager feels there is an issue to address, it is certainly better to do it now rather than midway through the tournament.
Sure, this might cause a bit of a media uproar, but, then again, it’s better now than next June.
And if it results in Bellingham fully maximizing his attributes, as Tuchel managed with Neymar in 2020, it will be well worth it.
It certainly strengthens Tuchel’s case that creators like Rodgers and eventual goalscorer Eberechi Eze produce such performances.
There was another off-pitch issue that came up in this match and one that Tuchel created himself, arguably unnecessarily. There is a possible disagreement with some fans.
Tuchel complained about the atmosphere at Wembley, which was little surprise when it was another flat home win of little consequence.
The travel assistant, sitting in the rain in an unsafe stand, naturally had a point to talk about. Immediately after the start of the match, he chanted “Thomas Tuchel, we will sing whenever we want”, “Are we loud enough for you?” Chants of the ironic “Our support is rubbish” preceded the more playful “Thomas Tuchel give us a wave”.
Finally, he obliged. Everyone is happy again, at least not happy with the result.
If this all ends with the actual World Cup in July nobody will care what he says. This qualifying campaign has proved that Tuchel has made progress in terms of that ambition.
England are up there, and already looking one of the best teams.