Assessing Thomas Tuchel's England bow: Style, substitutions and what he said | OneFootball

The German finally reached the Wembley dugout, but how did he do?

“German management. English spirit. A match made in heaven.”

The marketers at Mini - the German-owned manufacturer of the most quintessentially English motor - had not missed a trick, their campaign banners lining Wembley Way.

Nor had the programme designers, the cover resembling a Royal Mail stamp, adorned with Thomas Tuchel side-profile in full baseball cap regalia.

The start of the Tuchel era here trumped the start of the road to the World Cup for chief narrative billing, though really those two things are one and the same.

The reception committee made a token effort, laying on a “Welcome to the home of football, Thomas” tifo and the usual out-of-sync rendition of the national anthem which, in what felt a blessedly irrelevant footnote, Tuchel naturally did not sing.

Ultimately, no one - and certainly not the Football Association or Tuchel himself - is under any illusion about the fact that this is a reign that will be defined by results.

A 2-0 victory over Albania, with a feel-good debut goal for Myles Lewis-Skelly and a record-extending 70th in England colours for Harry Kane, was about as routine as those come.

Here’s how Tuchel’s opening night went down…

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After the novelty of Lee Carsley’s youthful and often radical interim selections, there was something underwhelming about Tuchel’s first squad unveiling last week, which saw some of the old guard’s eldest members recalled.

Here at least, though, the German gave his first lineup a suitably fresh feel, handing a debut to the in-form and in-clover Dan Burn, as well as Lewis-Skelly. The latter was superb and looked settled even before his goal, but Burn endured several erratic moments in defence and was exposed for his lack of pace. Were it not for the width of the crossbar, he too would have been on the scoresheet before half-time, but grand a week as the Newcastle man has had, there was nothing here to justify his eyebrow-raising inclusion ahead of Marc Guehi.

There was also a start for Curtis Jones, Tuchel, thankfully, turning to the man whose dynamism is such an asset to Liverpool’s midfield now, rather the man that whose once was in Jordan Henderson. Jones is not the controlling influence England have perennially missed, but is mobile enough to bring a blend of tenacity and adventure to what has the makings of a well-balanced trio, alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

In attack, Marcus Rashford’s inclusion on the left was the sole surprise surprise, vindication for his Old Trafford escape coming what felt like a little prematurely.

The Aston Villa loanee was positive and direct, but without quite the old sharpness or end product. Phil Foden, similarly, did not quite grab his chance in what remains England’s most fiercely competitive area of the pitch. With Anthony Gordon only coming off the bench, and Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer at home, Tuchel knows he can judge his wingers by lofty standards.

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Style

Tuchel had said he wanted to see Premier League style and tempo infused into the national side and whether because of those instructions or simply an eagerness to impress, there was a notably high tempo to England’s early play.

Their passing was crisp and the counter-press - another much-emphasised element in the various media rounds this week - was effective, albeit against a side with limited ability playing out from the back. By the time of the opening goal, Albania were yet to complete a pass in the England half.

There have been doubts as to whether a team spearheaded by an ageing Kane can hope to rely on its press, but interestingly here the captain was spared much of the donkey work. Often, he dropped into the second wave, blocking off passing lanes and covering the spaces left by the likes of Jones, Bellingham and Foden, who led raids higher up the pitch.

In possession, Tuchel had stressed he wanted Kane playing as a conventional No9. His clinching goal was the product of superb penalty-box play, bullying his marker and finding the space to control and finish from a Rice cross that should not really have caused Albania much alarm.

The drop-off following that strike was the one alarming element of this first Tuchel display, and a familiar failing that predates even the Southgate tenure. Encouraging, though, was the way England reasserted their control in the final half-hour, with their first prolonged period of pressure in the second-half leading up to Kane’s goal.

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Substitutions

Gareth Southgate was often criticised for delaying his substitutions and Tuchel was here involuntarily guilty of the same crime. Both Gordon and Jarrod Bowen were stripped and ready for more than five minutes before an appropriate break in play allowed for their introduction, so long in fact that by then Tuchel had decided to make his first England substitution a triple one, with Morgan Rogers sent on as well.

The decision to refresh the wide players was something of a no-brainer, but choosing Rogers to replace Jones was a positive move, even if the Villa man played no significant part in the result. With the score at that stage still 1-0, Tuchel could have turned to Henderson’s stability and experience to see the game out. Instead, the signal was sent out that England wanted a second and when it arrived, it made the final quarter of an hour a formality.

Henderson did eventually make his return as a replacement for Rice, while Reece James - a Tuchel favourite from his Chelsea days - won his first cap in two years as a late substitution. That switch allowed Lewis-Skelly a deserved ovation from what was left of the Wembley crowd.

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On the touchline

You rather hoped that events on the pitch would not have the full range of Tuchel’s touchline emotions on show and that proved to be the case.

The 51-year-old, dressed in a lightweight mac and slim trousers, watched most of the game exuding a sense of calm from the edge of his technical area, delivering instruction but never frantically so.

His response to both goals was almost identical, with a double-fisted pump and a turn to his bench, while assistant coach Anthony Barry was a regular source of consultation, particularly during the second half.

Perhaps the most notable interaction came in the aftermath of the opening goal, when Tuchel and Bellingham were engaged in what looked like a discussion over England’s build-up on the touchline as the rest of England’s players celebrated. There has been talk this week about England’s lack of leadership - hence recalls for Henderson and Kyle Walker - but here was evidence that Tuchel views Bellingham as a key orchestrater on the pitch.

After full-time, there were hugs for members of his coaching staff, but no grand celebration or saluting of a home crowd. Tuchel was, in fact, long down the tunnel by the time Kane led England’s players on a brief lap of appreciation, knowing the hard work has only just begun.

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What he said

On the occasion: “It was exciting. I was a bit nervous before but it was a fantastic evening, perfect temperature and weather for football and we had a good week ahead of the match.

“Our first win and first clean sheet - hopefully it gives us confidence to get better quickly and trust our style.”

On Lewis-Skelly: “He was amazing in camp. He’s full of confidence and full of humour, such an open and mature character. Everything you see off the pitch - very impressive, natural confidence - is how he plays his football.

“It was a great performance full of courage and quality. That he could be decisive with his run behind the line to open the game for us was amazing.”

On Foden and Rashford: “Both our wingers were not as impactful as they normally can be and are in club football. I’m not sure why we struggled to bring the ball quicker to them. I need to review the match.”

On Harry Kane: “I see him even more confident in his environment as a natural leader [than at Bayern Munich] He’s a top captain and teammate. I’m happy he scored the second goal at a very important moment.”

On where England can improve: “We will get better, we will get more rhythm and I will understand the players more. Where do we struggle, why is it hard to find more runs and more aggressive moments into the last third? From there we will get better, implement the rhythm and look more dangerous in front of goal. But it’s step-by-step.”