Tuchel tells England to 'embrace the chaos' as Palmer and Alexander-Arnold return
England head coach Thomas Tuchel says he is ready to compromise on his instinct for control and instead "embrace the chaos" of English football, as he named his first squad since July's World Cup for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.
England's third-placed finish in the United States was the nation's best performance at a World Cup since 1966, but memories of the semi-final defeat to Argentina linger. After Anthony Gordon's opener, England lost control of the match and were reeled in by two late Argentine goals, leaving Tuchel to lament his side's inability to manage the game when ahead.
A change of philosophy
Two months on, Tuchel's messaging is strikingly different. "Football is about adapting to situations and football without any control is sometimes hard to digest for a coach, if you look at the 6-4 against France," he said. "But people talk about it like it's one of their nicest experiences ever, to watch a football match, so maybe I have to compromise in my wish for control, for a little bit more chaos, embrace the chaos, and maybe it brings out the best."
Tuchel admitted he has been "wrestling with himself" over the question, questioning whether ball domination is even in the DNA of English players. "Deep down, in the core, English players and the spectators – and this is a beautiful thing – they go for it," he said. "They say: 'Let's play 6-3 or 4-3. Let's not play 1-0.' There was the famous kick-and-rush in earlier times. There is no heritage of: 'Oh, let's control around the middle line.'"
He conceded he would still like his side to become, in his words, "for 10 minutes a little bit more like Spain" when the pressure is on — a nod to the world champions' comfort on the ball — but ultimately believes in playing to the strengths of his players and the culture they grew up in. "I don't think it will suit the characteristics of our players" to push a different game model, he said, adding that he does not "have the time to coach them" into a possession-heavy identity.
Reflecting on the World Cup, Tuchel described "mixed" feelings, insisting the tournament was "unfulfilled" rather than a success, but asked why a bronze medal cannot be acknowledged: "When did we ever win it? Why is the expectation so high?"
Palmer and Alexander-Arnold back — and paradoxically, control
Ironically, Tuchel's latest squad leans towards control rather than chaos. The recall of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer, two of English football's most technically gifted players, screams control, as do the call-ups of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, both extremely adept in possession.
There is unpredictability too, however: Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, 18, has earned his first senior call-up after an exciting start to the season full of invention and trickery down both flanks, while Tuchel revealed Fulham attacker Josh King is close to a first senior call-up — further evidence he wants to reinvigorate his forward line.
Tuchel refuted suggestions that recalling Palmer and Alexander-Arnold was an admission his World Cup squad was wrong, saying he would have picked a similar squad had all his options been available. Several World Cup squad members — Reece James, Dan Burn, Dean Henderson, John Stones, Jordan Henderson and Djed Spence — are unavailable through injury.
"These players were crucial for us in building the brotherhood, in building the spirit and taking care of the mentality that took us the long way in the tournament. We will not negotiate on that, we will not give in on that," Tuchel said. "So other players will step up, this is basically how I see this camp."
The squad and fixtures
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Jason Steele.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrod Branthwaite, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Nico O'Reilly, Jarell Quansah.
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Alex Scott.
Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Rio Ngumoha, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka.
England host World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday, 26 September, then travel to the Czech Republic (Tuesday, 29 September) and Croatia (Saturday, 3 October), before the Czechs visit Wembley on Tuesday, 6 October.