Thomas Tuchel said he liked England’s “intense”, “tight” 2-0 win over Serbia – and the game may prove to be an important 90 minutes as he shapes his plans for the World Cup.
The qualifier didn’t exactly grip the supporters inside Wembley throughout the contest, with the lack of away supporters not aiding the atmosphere. But on the pitch, there were further signals of how Tuchel’s England will look at next summer’s World Cup.
Still, though, questions remain – and big questions, given the calibre of player who could be left at home…
The big one: Who is England’s No 10?
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Rob Dorsett and Pete Smith discuss the talking points from England’s 2-0 win against Serbia, which saw Thomas Tuchel staying true to his word and naming a surprising starting line-up
There was a surprise on the team sheet on Thursday, with Morgan Rogers retaining his place at No 10, despite the return of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden to the England squad.
The Aston Villa ace injected impetus to a slow-starting England and clearly carries favour with Tuchel off the back of repeated eye-catching performances in the role this autumn. This wasn’t his most impactful display, though.
Bellingham replaced him after an hour and looked like a man with a point to prove. There were some errors in his play as well but, as Serbia searched for the goal they needed for their own World Cup qualification prospects, space opened up for the Real Madrid star and he played a part in a flurry of late chances. He finished with a more impressive highlights reel from the night, no doubt.
Tuchel’s headline-grabbing comments about Bellingham over the past six months have fuelled narratives around the pair’s relationship. But his reintegration seems inevitable… although Cole Palmer’s return to fitness will add some more complexity to the equation.
Whether Foden is still a competitor for that position is another question…
Is Foden now Kane’s back-up at No 9?
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Following a victory against Serbia, England manager Thomas Tuchel praised Phil Foden’s performance after returning to the fold
You could argue whether England play with a No 9 at all anymore, given how deep Harry Kane dropped to build up the play against Serbia and it was certainly the case for the last half-hour that Foden was operating as a false nine.
Tuchel wants the Man City technician in central areas “surrounded by traffic” to make connections with his short and clever passing.
A question in the post-match press conference asking whether Foden could displace Kane was given short-shrift by Tuchel but he did say the 25-year-old could be the England captain’s “accomplice”, replacing Kane when he tires or if something different is needed to open up a defence.
It’s an intriguing development – and potentially not a positive one for the likes of Ollie Watkins, Danny Welbeck, Ivan Toney or any other No 9 who had hoped to be Kane’s understudy at the World Cup. Tuchel picked Kane as his only striker in this squad. Perhaps Foden is the alternative.
Left-side spots up for grabs
Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford? That’s the question at left-wing – despite Eberechi Eze’s stunning goal at Wembley. While Eze could retain the role of impact player from the bench, it looks like a battle between Gordon – a high performer during the Tuchel era – and in-form Rashford for the starting spot in that position.
Perhaps Tuchel will go horses-for-courses and alternate Gordon and Rashford depending on which opponents England face at the World Cup. But certainly it feels like Jack Grealish or any other left-winger has an almost impossible task to dislodge those two by next summer.
Man City’s Nico O’Reilly made his England debut vs Serbia
Behind them, left-back feels like a more open contest. At the start of the year it was Myles Lewis-Skelly. Now, with the Arsenal man short on game time for his club, Man City’s Nico O’Reilly has stepped in, with what Tuchel called a “fantastic” debut. O’Reilly didn’t look out of place in a Three Lions shirt.
Djed Spence and Reece James – in his more usual right-back role on Thursday – are among a list of other options which includes Newcastle trio Dan Burn, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall. Watch this space.
Is Anderson nailed down as the defensive midfielder?
Elliot Anderson has impressed in a deep midfield role in recent internationals
The big winner of the autumn internationals has been Elliot Anderson. The Nottingham Forest midfielder has made the step up to international football look so straightforward and has almost immediately emerged as the player England have been craving in that position deeper than Declan Rice.
He impressed again against Serbia, with his incisive passing coupled with another clean sheet. And with Adam Wharton only given a five-minute sub appearance – his first outing under Tuchel – the signs are positive for Anderson.
It’s worth noting, Jordan Henderson came on for Declan Rice, with the experienced Brentford midfielder seemingly seen by Tuchel in that No 8 role, rather than Anderson’s spot.
But the team selection in Albania on Sunday will be interesting. Could that brief runout for Wharton at Wembley be related to plans for a bigger role for him in Tirana? Now seems like the moment Tuchel has to look at the Crystal Palace star in his system.
Alex Scott’s call-up could also be another indication Tuchel has not completely locked-in Anderson. Bournemouth’s Scott was left out of the matchday squad on Thursday but his inclusion for the camp shows Tuchel is still looking at options.
It’s a wise move, in case anything should happen to Anderson. And as Tuchel said in his pre-match media appearances, form and fitness can still have a bearing on his plans. But those ideas are now taking shape – and there don’t appear to be many spots left for outsiders to fight for.
