Thomas Tuchel says he is “tempted” to stay on longer as England manager – he is enjoying the experience so much. Whether he gets the chance to go beyond the World Cup will depend on his employers seeing a vastly-improved level of performance by England’s players on the pitch in the next 12 months.
Tuchel says he is still learning about his role as England manager, and how to get the best out of this group of players. But after a bitterly disappointing and often baffling international camp, it is hard to believe he has more answers now than he did before the squad assembled in Northern Spain 10 days ago.
It is very clear Tuchel is still experimenting. He is still adapting to the unique demands of international management, and grappling with how best to treat players that he no longer gets to work with day in, day out, as he did when he was a club manager.
It is equally clear that he will experiment much less from the beginning of the next training camp, which comes in September – a fortnight into the start of the new season.
That is when he will begin to work on a more settled, distinct philosophy with a more compact core of players. It is a time for answers, rather than questions.
But the tinkering and changing we have seen in the last week has done little to convince those outside the England coaching set up that there is a coherent plan.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel suffered his first defeat as Three Lions boss and reflects on the 3-1 loss to Senegal in their international friendly
Let’s be clear – there was some very important work done behind the scenes last week, in the private confines of the squad’s luxury golf resort in Girona. It was a time for bonding, for coaches and players to get to know each other better.
Sports science was to the fore, with hot weather testing and preparation for conditions the players might face at next summer’s World Cup. This was the only opportunity to do that preparation, and the benefits of that work will not be seen unless and until England qualify for the tournament.
Furthermore, England are sitting pretty at the top of their World Cup qualifying group, with a 100 per cent record and no goals conceded. That’s what really matters at this stage of proceedings, with the tournament still 12 months away.
It was only a few days ago we were reporting that Tuchel was the first England manager ever to win his opening three matches without any numbers in the “goals against” column.
Kyle Walker reacts after Ismaila Sarr’s equaliser for England against Senegal
But it is Tuchel himself who repeatedly stresses how little time he has to work with the England players, and these last 10 days have felt like a big opportunity missed. There are now only four more international breaks before the manager has to select his World Cup squad.
There have been some questions answered, but it feels like those have ruled some options out, rather than ruling any in.
Curtis Jones should not be asked to play right back again, Reece James will struggle as a makeshift left-back. England can no longer rely on the raw pace of Kyle Walker to be an emergency line of defence when an opponent breaks through; the team falter when asked to adapt to radical system changes – such as having no number nine, or switching from a back four to a back three when one full-back inverts into central midfield.
But what has Tuchel learned in a positive sense? I would argue, very little.
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England boss Thomas Tuchel discusses Kyle Walker’s inclusion and Ivan Toney’s late cameo during their 3-1 defeat to Senegal and insists that Three Lions fans shouldn’t panic as the next World Cup looms
He surely can’t have learned anything about Ivan Toney, who was given just four minutes of game time within the 180 on offer in the last week – and Toney’s stoney-faced expression spoke volumes when he was sitting on the bench with England 2-1 down to Senegal.
Toney watched, eyes fixed, arms folded, while Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze played as “false 9’s”. Or were they both number 10s? Who knows. It didn’t look like the players on the pitch were sure.
Over the last two camps, Tuchel called up Toney and Dominic Solanke, and yet between them, in total, they had only four minutes of match action. As a result, we – and surely Tuchel too – are no closer to knowing who is the best candidate to be Harry Kane’s understudy next summer.
England were beaten 3-1 by Senegal in their first ever defeat by African opposition
Likewise, Tuchel had three world-class right backs in this latest squad in Walker, James and Trent Alexander-Arnold – with a few more – Ben White, Tino Livramento and Rico Lewis – waiting in the wings.
Right-back is the single most over-subscribed position in the England side. And yet he decided to play none of those players on the right side of the defence against Andorra, so we remain none the wiser about the right-back pecking order.
Dean Henderson conceded three goals on his second England start but despite that, he was impressive acting as deputy to Jordan Pickford.
Henderson made some excellent saves and his distribution was calm and effective, until Habib Diarra’s effort gave Senegal the lead, when it went through the Palace keeper’s legs at the near post.
It is reassuring that, should Pickford lose form or fitness, Henderson is ready and able to step up. England’s defeat in Nottingham was not his fault.
Thomas Tuchel looks on during England’s friendly defeat to Senegal
But beyond that – having become the only England side ever to lose to African opposition – Tuchel will be feeling he needs to go back to the drawing board.
He wants to play with a high energy and a high press – but it seems he is accepting that is much more difficult on the international stage, and may be impossible for England when they get to the mid-30s celsius of central North America next summer.
He wants England to move the ball quicker, with fewer sideways and backwards passes. The England fans would love to see that too, but when possession-based patterns are such a fundamental part of what most of the players do with their clubs, how does Tuchel achieve that?
He wants to reduce the weight of the England shirt, as it oppresses too many players who shrink, compared with their club form. Again – a laudable aim, but is it achievable?
Jude Bellingham during England’s defeat to Senegal
Above all, he says he wants to see England’s team play with smiles on their faces, with a joy in their attacking play and a swagger to prove that they are the best.
But he said that when he first took the job in January, and five months later – there was nothing but scowls and sneers at full time at the City Ground.
It should be applauded that Tuchel is grappling with all of these issues now. His passion and determination is there for all to see. He doesn’t shy away from any of England’s problems, and his honesty and clarity with both the media and the players is refreshing and inspiring.
But all of that counts for nothing if the master conductor can’t get a pleasant tune out his musicians. And at the moment, England are a right racket.
