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England manager Thomas Tuchel has stressed that raw talent alone does not guarantee a place in his squad. world cup team, emphasizing the key role of “social skills” and personality in the pursuit of glory this summer.
With just five months to go before the back-to-back European Cup runners-up begin their quest for success in North America with a Group L match against Croatia in Dallas, Tuchel faces a crucial decision.
Only two March friendlies remain before he can finalize his squad. championshipThe England boss, who has guided his side to an impressive run in qualifying, has previously spoken of building a “brotherhood” capable of challenging the best teams in the world.
Tuchel acknowledged significant progress since taking over a year ago but is now weighing up options he believes could add a second star to the national team shirt.
Looking back at past tournaments, Tuchel highlighted the intangible qualities of successful teams.
“When I talk to players who have been at the World Cup, first of all whether the connection between the players is right, whether the communication is right, always makes a difference,” he explained.
“So when the players feel like they have the right team in camp, they know their roles, why they’re in camp, what’s expected of them, and they feel like the game could even go on for another four weeks and they’re excited to be together, then they’re successful.”
He contrasted this with a less successful campaign: “When they got to the end of Round 16 there was already a sense of ‘Oh, when are we going to go home?'” But the energy was not right and they failed to make it. It just tells me that we have to make the right choice. “
Tuchel stressed that his focus is not limited to his ability on the pitch.
“It’s very important that we not only select talent but also consider what we need from the player. How is the player’s social skills, is he a good teammate? If his role may be a supporting role, can he provide support? So, that’s the focus.”
Tuchel, whose interview was filmed last month and released on Thursday, is also finalizing England’s preparations for the match, which includes a warm-up camp in Florida that will include two games. In the World Cup group stage, England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
The head coach admits the demands of the upcoming games will be high.
“It’s a big game about distance, travel time zones, altitude – differences in altitude, differences in weather conditions,” Tuchel noted. “It’s going to be hot.”
He also considered the toll it takes on players’ bodies after a long club season.
“We will have a lot of players who will hopefully be available for international competition until May, who will also be involved in national competition and we will ask them, the World Cup will ask a lot of them. If we make it to the end we hope to be together for six to eight weeks.”
Ultimately, Tuchel believes success lies in collective spirit. “It’s going to require a lot of our social skills, how we come together as a team and we need to get the nominations right.
“We need to find the right balance in the squad, see it as an opportunity, see it as a dream come true to play in the World Cup and play a big role, and hopefully it’s just a dream.”
