After England's routine World Cup qualifier victories against Albania and Latvia, Thomas Tuchel stated, "It's good because I understand my team, and my team understands me." He added, "We will get there."
Read Also...:
Volta a Catalunya 2025: Matthew Brennan wins stage one for first World Tour victory
03-25, 2025
British & Irish Lions 2025: Richard Wigglesworth set to join coaching staff for Australia tour
03-25, 2025
England U21 4-2 Portugal U21: Ethan Nwaneri scores on full debut
03-25, 2025
Emma Raducanu reaches Miami Open quarter-finals with dominant win over Amanda Anisimova
03-25, 2025Some players played their way into Tuchel's considerations through the matches, while others may have lost their place in the squad as a result. Myles Lewis-Skelly, Reece James, and Eberechi Eze all scored their first England senior goals, while Harry Kane scored in both games. Lewis-Skelly and James both proved their worth at full-back, but the central defensive or wing positions remain less clear.
Former England goalkeeper and BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Rob Green said, "Tuchel will reflect and say, 'How much can I expect from these two games?' It was just the bare minimum, and there are still so many questions." Albania and Latvia were limited opposition, though they briefly threatened to score at Wembley.
Tuchel added, "These qualifiers bring some tension, what happens when it gets tough, how will the players react? It's important to get better. I will always fight for them because they perform well in training. Some players played out of their usual positions. With that in mind, overall I'm very positive." BBC Sport is keeping an eye on the winners and losers from this England camp.
James made his first England start against Latvia since September 2022 and took his opportunity with an excellent performance. The 25-year-old won the Champions League with Tuchel at Chelsea, but his career has been plagued by injuries, and he is now back fit. Tuchel said after the game: "Reece's level is top. We have been in close contact in the last weeks. We knew he was in good shape and his mental state was good. He proved it. He was very positive throughout the camp."
AC Milan's Kyle Walker, 34, started the first game against Albania and performed solidly before James took his place at right-back three days later. A stunning 25-yard free-kick into the top corner made him the first England defender to score a free-kick at Wembley since Stuart Pearce in 1992. Green said, "I love Reece James. He's an outstanding footballer. There are question marks over both right-backs. Where will Walker be in a year? What stage of his career will he be at, and what kind of condition will we see him in when we get to the World Cup? No one doubts James' ability, mentality, and intelligence. He's fit, but he's occasionally injured. If you could put Walker's fitness into James' body, you'd have someone who could rival anyone in the world by the end of the World Cup." Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, who missed these games through injury, will be a strong contender for the position upon his return.
Arsenal's young left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, who scored on his international debut on Friday, was lively again and won the free-kick from which James scored. The 18-year-old, as he often does for his club, drifted into central midfield alongside Gunners team-mate Declan Rice. Green said, "He showed glimpses of what he can do in terms of running in behind and what he can do to control the midfield. It wasn't as eye-catching a performance as it was on Friday night, but it did show ability and versatility. Newcastle's Lewis Hall will have to make a strong case upon his return."
Ezri Konsa was solid at centre-back and unlucky not to score, outperforming the players he partnered – Dan Burn and Marc Guehi. Burn, 32, making his debut, looked comfortable in the first half but was caught out a couple of times in the second half against Albania, while Guehi was involved in both of Latvia's first-half chances. Green said, "These games will give Konsa confidence. Two more games' experience – for momentum, for feeling at home in the squad, these are the intangibles for international players. While they (Burn and Guehi) didn't look as assured as Konsa, they didn't do themselves any harm in the two games." On Newcastle's 6ft 7in Burn, who hit the bar against Albania, Green said, "Going into tournament football, maybe one important thing is you can bring him on. When you're up against more physical opponents, he's a different option, maybe going to a back three. He can add something for corners, which is crucial for England's success in tournaments."
Tuchel likes genuine wingers who can run down the line and put crosses in. He did not see enough in these two games to convince him he has found the men he wants. The German is desperate to get Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (who he spoke to after the game) and Chelsea's Cole Palmer back from injury. Manchester City's Phil Foden (who prefers to play centrally) struggled in the system against Albania and was replaced by West Ham's Jarrod Bowen for the second game. Bowen had a couple of shots off target and created some opportunities down the right, but similarly did not set the world alight. Marcus Rashford started both games on the left. He put in 11 crosses against Latvia and created six chances but lost possession 36 times across the two games, far more than anyone else. Tuchel said, "Marcus showed again the desire and determination to keep going. He was unsure whether to take on the ball. The most important thing is that he showed the desire and confidence in his ability. We were maybe missing some support. They switched sides in the second half, but it didn't quite suit him. These are the lessons we need to learn and take from these games. We didn't play in a way that suited him."
Eze took his chance after coming on as a substitute for Bowen against Latvia. He cut in from the left before firing England's third goal into the net via a deflection. Eze's Crystal Palace team-mate Guehi said, "I'm so happy for him. Every time he comes on, he creates something. I'm happy it hit the target and they gave it to him (rather than as an own goal)." He was assisted by Foden, who played in his preferred central position. Green said, "You ask people to stake a claim, and I don't think any of them did in a major sense. Eze did offer a different point compared to the other players on the pitch. Bowen didn't really get the minutes he would have wanted. Rashford didn't have the opportunity to cut inside on his right foot. He didn't show that strength or confidence on his left foot. It was a tough test for the wingers, but you'd expect that against Latvia's shape." Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon would have hoped to start against Latvia, but he missed the second game through injury. Green said, "Gordon is a big character, and he brings something different, that ability to drive forward."
In midfield, Harry Kane scored in both games to extend his England goalscoring record to 71. He performed well under Tuchel at Bayern Munich and is undoubtedly in the team. Another area where Tuchel experimented with different tactics was in midfield. Rice is another guaranteed starter in the squad, and he started in the number six role in both games, assisting two of Kane's goals. Liverpool's Curtis Jones started alongside him in the first game but was replaced by Morgan Rogers for the game against Latvia. Rogers, making his England debut, played further forward, partnering Jude Bellingham, who had a brilliant assist for Lewis-Skelly in the first game. Villa's Rogers had bright moments against Latvia, having six shots, completing six of seven dribbles, and winning eight of 12 duels. He ended up on the right wing after England made changes, where Tuchel felt he looked at his best. Tuchel said, "He did well. I was happy with his overall performance. He should have started, and maybe playing from the wing in a game where we were so dominant suited him better. He felt more free and had more space when we had him playing there."
Rogers told BBC Radio 5 Live after the game: "Thank God I got the opportunity, and hopefully I can get more in the future. I'm a little bit disappointed I didn't get a goal. I can't always do the right things, but if I do the right things, then good things will follow." BBC commentator Green added, "Rogers did alright in certain aspects. He got a little bit more space when the opposition were tired. Tuchel will look at it and say there's something there. He may have seen enough to say you can come back and try again. It was a positive night for him."
Everton's Jordan Pickford has been England's number-one goalkeeper since 2018. There was talk that Tuchel was considering dropping him to the bench on Friday, but it ultimately did not happen. He only had one save to make across the two games, though a mix-up with Guehi did allow Latvia a great chance. The 31-year-old won his 75th cap against Latvia. Green, who played for England at the 2010 World Cup, said, "As a statement, it's good for Tuchel to say he's my number one, to nip it in the bud. Pickford won't get injured. He plays every game for Everton and England. As soon as someone else plays, there's always a question, maybe he's not the number one. If he does what he does for England, I've got no problem with it." Dean Henderson and James Trafford remained unused substitutes, while Aaron Ramsdale was left out of the matchday squad for each game.
