Manager Thomas Tuchel has labeled his team “underdogs” ahead of next summer’s competition, but the Nottingham Forest midfielder’s emergence shows why England have a big chance
Andy Dunn is the Mirror’s chief sportswriter.
Thomas Tuchel is a great linguist, but sometimes he doesn’t fully understand the nuances of English words. That’s why he wasn’t expecting the uproar when his mother said she was “disgusted” by some of Jude Bellingham’s actions.
And perhaps Tuchel did not understand what he meant when he said England would go into the World Cup final as “underdogs”. In the strictest sense of the word, he’s right. Spain are the favorites to win the trophy, according to bookmakers, so all other countries are underdogs.
But the word suggests there will be some kind of surprise if England win the tournament. And that’s definitely not the case. Even if Tuchel’s side are the underdogs, they will be hit hard.
Of course, matches like this in Riga always come with obvious caveats. Don’t read too much into routine wins over opponents, like Latvia.
read more: England fans make their point with Thomas Tuchel chants in minutes of game against Latviaread more: Marcus Rashford shows how he really feels by answering Man United’s question in four words
But there’s a lot to be gleaned from the campaign as a whole, which saw England reach the final with a few games to spare. And the most important thing to take away from Tuchel’s comfortable start to his World Cup challenge is that he believes he has plenty of options when it comes to selection next summer.
And perhaps unlike his predecessor, Tuchel will not be afraid to use them. Don’t worry about the weak. In Riga, there was further evidence that underdogs will be the key to summer success.
Only guys like Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, and Elliott Anderson will no longer be classified as underclassmen. They were simply prioritized over the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, and ahead of everyone else on match day.
And even if Bellingham beat them in Madrid for the rest of the season, there is no guarantee he would start England’s first game in the final. Certainly the same applies to Foden and Grealish. In fact, there is no guarantee that these two will make the team.
There was a lot of talk about Marcus Rashford before the game, but Gordon’s run and finish for his first goal for England was a sign of his confidence and growth. Rodgers looks set to benefit from Bellingham’s absence, but regardless, Tuchel clearly believes his link play is top-notch and the Aston Villa man did not let him down.
And then there’s Anderson. Appearing in four games, the 21-year-old Anderson proved himself a native of the international house. He wins duels, completes a lot of passes, covers a lot of ground and creates chances.
The Nottingham Forest player does not appear to have any major weaknesses in his game. And when we talk about options, players like Anderson and Rodgers are just two of many players in the midfield area.
Remember, the outstanding Adam Wharton didn’t even make this team. Anderson’s work rate, attitude and selflessness identify him with Tuchel’s players.
You have to put up some hard yards for Tuchel and well, Anderson did just that. There will be a lot of club football between now and Tuchel’s final selection, but already the question is not whether Andersson will join the team, but whether he will.
And my bet is he will. There is no loser for coach Tuchel. That’s why there are no losers in England, which starts in June.
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