Manager Thomas Tuchel watched England struggle to draw with Uruguay and lose to Japan, but insists his belief that the Three Lions can win the World Cup remains undiminished.
England national team manager Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel insists he still has ‘100 per cent belief’ in England’s squad after their rude awakening. England are among the bookmakers’ favorites to win the World Cup and are seeded fourth in the tournament’s tennis-style draw system.
However, England suffered heavy defeats in the final pre-Wembley friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, raising serious doubts.
England look half the team they are without Harry Kane. There was no Jude Bellingham to save them. They have yet to beat a top-20 team under Tuchel. The draw with Uruguay was flat. The defeat against Japan sounded a serious alarm.
But despite the two difficult results, Tuchel insists his confidence in his team remains intact. England achieved 100 per cent in qualifying and did not concede a goal.
read more: Thomas Tuchel issues a stern warning to Phil Foden at the World Cup after failing England’s auditionread more: Former England manager urges Harry Maguire to consider refusing World Cup call-up
Tuchel said: “I still believe 100 percent. Like I said, I knew there were going to be tough tests. And sometimes tough tests are better than winning, so I’m not 100 percent sure. I’m not going to start doubting now.”
“It’s difficult for the players too, to come to camp, hear my voice for the first time, know our principles for the first time, go through the attacking and defensive sessions and then go to Wembley and put on a show. It’s not easy.
“We’re going to put this into perspective, but in the meantime we’ve built something in September, October and November and we’re going to rely on that.
“We were able to open our doors again, meet the players, give them a chance and make a good impression, and not just from the Tribune.
“So we’re going to get a feel for the players, get them through training, see what they’re capable of, see what they’re struggling with, learn from that, take the results and build the team for June.”
Tuchel’s split squad named 35 players for the two games, giving 11 of them the first week off, with the aim of giving them some rest and seeing some fresh faces.
Everton’s James Garner impressed against Uruguay. Harry Maguire was a force for good in his own right. Marcus Rashford also played well in the first game, coming on as a substitute and making a difference against Japan, resulting in a big winner.
Ben White was both hero and villain against Uruguay and struggled against Japan, but a World Cup appearance no longer seems out of the question.
Dom Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin probably feel they could have done more to further their case to be Mr Caine’s deputy. Maybe there’s still a spot for Ollie Watkins.
Ben White has had a rocky international break (Image: Alex Davidson – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
So Tuchel’s March camp was ultimately a hit-or-miss and he admitted the lack of a win was his biggest disappointment, but insisted they were undaunted.
“As I said earlier, we’re not going to let go of our dreams and we’re not going to let go of the question, ‘Why not?'” Tuchel said.
“The most important thing now is to get the players back at the club, finish the season on a good note, then get them into pre-camp, get them properly prepared and take the steps from there.”
The biggest danger to England’s chances now is undoubtedly burnout. The number of games is too high due to the demands of the Premier League, where the likes of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice have been knocked out.
But Tuchel said he has plans to ensure his players start the World Cup with a fresh mind, as he wants the pre-season training camp in Florida, where New Zealand and Costa Rica will play, to feel like a mini-vacation with the family.
Tuchel added: “The players who are not involved in the Champions League final will have a week off and we will be heading to the United States very early, probably before the other teams. But we will be there to prepare for the heat and humidity.”
“But we also plan to have an early camp so that we can have a good mix of free time, family time and soccer so that we can arrive excited when the tournament starts.
“This season will be a very long season for the players. Some players have come from the Club World Cup, so it won’t end at the end of May. It will end hopefully in mid-July. And we will take this into account.”
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