England Things We Learned: Thomas Tuchel MUST solve Three Lions’ wide problems, as youngster impresses on debut… and one star provided the ‘blueprint’ for the German’s football

Thomas Tuchel left Wembley deep in thought on similar themes to those he had entered pondering a little over a week ago.

The focus was on Jordan Henderson’s reintroduction when Tuchel named the first 26 men of England’s new dawn, yet the important bits of his opening weeks in this job were wrapped up in discussions surrounding styles and identity.

Tuchel wants his team to act as an embodiment of the Premier League, with more thrust and risk, more energy to excite – even if the paper aeroplanes flying around Wembley suggest that is some way off. 

He says that players will be delivered a crash course in how to achieve the optimum before next year’s World Cup.

One camp down, five to go before America. Tuchel insists he has learned plenty from the March break – zeroing in on pride players are showing for the shirt after a fortnight spent hammering home the need for greater spirit. 

Learned plenty despite pedestrian victories over Albania and Latvia, he says.

Tuchel lead the Three Lions to victories over Latvia and Albania in his first outing as boss

SPEED IT UP

Tuchel wore frustration a fair amount across the 180 minutes, most of which were spent on the edge of his technical area. He claimed those moments are only fleeting but it has been striking to watch him express his demands to even the most senior players, including Harry Kane.

The German doesn’t sound like a coach who believes his attacking players and midfielders are thinking quickly enough to unlock defences.

In these two games, that is picking apart low blocks – not something England will encounter on the grandest stage – but the premise remains against the best: you’re only given a small window of opportunity so it needs taking.

‘You see an opportunity and you feel that the players don’t see it,’ Tuchel said. ‘Twice [on Monday] I was a bit frustrated because I felt there was a position around Harry and that we didn’t take this opportunity to catch them disorganised.

‘For short seconds you’re frustrated and then push the players again. We need to learn from each other. It’s the first time I’ve coached most of these players. I need to understand how they behave, what they like, how they behave under stress, what they do out of possession.’

Against Latvia, six of England’s starting XI had a 100 per cent pass completion at half time. Were they taking enough risks? Tuchel would probably argue not.

Though he scored twice in two games, Tuchel was unhappy with the service to Harry Kane

The German boss vented his frustrations despite securing victories in both matches

THE BLUEPRINT

England will be shown that third goal, the Eberechi Eze deflected effort, again by their manager. It’ll be clipped up at St George’s Park in June without doubt, because it is exactly what he will want moving forward.

Four passes, all measured and simple in their execution. Then a forward running at his man and scoring. From inside their own box with Marc Guehi up to Ezri Konsa, the centre halves playing a one-two, and it then progressing to Phil Foden on halfway.

Foden notices that Eze has a channel to run into and calmly knocked forward. Eze does the rest, a first international goal – although it may have been credited to a Latvian defender on another day.

It looked easy. And it was good to see Foden involved after becoming a focus following the Albania game, which Tuchel said he could have impacted more. England need to harness Foden’s unique ability if they are to get over the line next year.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze provided a burst of energy in the second-half against Latvia

The Eagles forward provided the blueprint to a typical Thomas Tuchel goal at Wembley

NARROWING THE WIDE OPTIONS

Much has been made of the comments on Foden and Marcus Rashford over the weekend and Tuchel’s idea on what is expected from the wide men may become clearer in June.

The conversation around those positions brought to mind something the Under-21 boss Lee Carsley told Mail Sport during an interview recently. ‘We have a lot of 10s who can also play wide,’ Carsley said. ‘Not your Noni [Madueke] sort but creative ones, with little movements.’

And he is right, England are not blessed with raw and direct wingers. Even Bukayo Saka, who was at Wembley to see his teammates on Monday, is of that ilk. Tuchel knows this and will know that his idea on how to get the best from those will need adapting.

The other No 10s in slightly wider areas – like Foden, like Morgan Rogers, like Cole Palmer, like Jack Grealish and to a lesser extent like Anthony Gordon and Rashford – can still be explosive, it’s just how best to provoke that.

Phil Foden (left) and Marcus Rashford (right) struggled in their outings under Tuchel

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The kids did all right. Myles Lewis-Skelly went from somebody who Tuchel was not 100 per cent sure of calling up to an inverted full back and a crucial cog in the build-up on only his second appearance.

It gave Tuchel a look at a different set up, which did free up Jude Bellingham without the need for a second No 6 alongside Declan Rice. That benefited Morgan Rogers.

And the performance of the Aston Villa man against Latvia certainly posed some nice questions, too. A lively Rogers opens the game up for England and the areas in which he can improve the team were already noticeable.

Rogers, a tricky dribbler in tight spaces despite his frame, waltzed through three challenges in the final third during a tight first half. His options were to shoot or try to find Kane. He took the latter but given time, and once he becomes more established, he likely continues the run and shoots.

Three Lions debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly impressed in his two outings over the break 

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH

Assistant head coach Anthony Barry is no stranger to darting out to the edge of the dugout when England have a corner. That is his domain, an area in which he’s excelled in previous jobs, and the backroom team will be enthused at the potential from set pieces.

Dan Burn was picked out three times from corners on Friday night, and England really ought to have found the net from one. And on Monday, both Konsa and Bellingham went close from one corner – Bellingham hitting Rashford with a head – and Rice’s deliveries constantly found the tallest men.