England’s extraordinary victory over Mexico might take some time to distill. The final whistle at the Azteca had an ethereal quality about it, leaving us unsure whether we were joined in a wild cortisol hit or simply dreaming.
The meaning of the result, if not the emotions surrounding it, is easier to fathom. For it to move beyond instant gratification and acquire lasting significance, England have to be better in Miami, where the return to sea level presents a different kind of altitude problem, all 10 thousand feet of him.
Indeed, should Thomas Tuchel fashion a plan to conquer Norway’s highest peak, Mount Haaland, the gradient rises again, most likely taking in Lionel Messi in Atlanta and, the fates willing, Kylian Mbappe in New York.
England manager Thomas Tuchel is starting to show his tactical elitism at this World Cup (Photo: Getty)Tuchel is adept at organisation, form and function. He can set up a team to stop others, but keeping the likes of Haaland, Messi and Mbappe garrisoned for 90 minutes is unlikely at a World Cup. To rise higher, Tuchel will have to set the opposition problems of their own, to unleash something in England he has yet to manifest.
England have exploded in moments, doing enough to clear the opposition, nothing more. The fundamental design is one of containment, slow ball, low block defiance. If the narrow victories over DR Congo and Mexico produced endorphin rushes, imagine how a victory might feel were Tuchel to take his foot off the brake, to go full England if you like.
To set out to hurt more than contain would not only be desirable but necessary if England are to build on the Azteca rush. We are too familiar with the alternative, which results in the same dead end Gareth Southgate colonised. Though the components of Tuchel’s team are set, the style need not be. A tweak here, a tickle there, could change the gearing from competent to formidable, from Ford to Ferrari.
Midfield
Declan Rice has formed an impressive partnership with Jude Bellingham in midfield (Photo: Getty)Bellingham, Rice and Anderson are Tuchel’s Three Musketeers. It is the rhythm that needs to change.
Tuchel achieves this by advancing Rice closer to Bellingham. Rice’s lung-popping assault for England’s first against Mexico drew high praise. While exciting, Rice sought the oh-so-familiar wide channel to exploit.
England only ever seek the wide channels, which makes them easy to read. Also, it is easier to let the ball do the work. Imagine if Rice were a connected receiver occupying a central position rather than galloping solo across the half way line. It is that middle dimension England must navigate to trouble better teams more readily, just as they do England.
Wing
Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka have settled the wide spots. The danger in the Azteca sprung from their willingness to go outside the full-backs, avoiding the hitherto persistent recycling sideways and backwards that slows everything down so much.
With Rice further up the pitch this would bring them into play in a different way, receiving the pass at a variety of angles to supplement the standard vertical ball from full-back.
Right-back
Tuchel’s one remaining quandary. Assuming the phone call from the Prime Minister to Fifa does not set the red-carded Jarell Quansah free, Tuchel has to choose between Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa at right-back.
Should it be Konsa, this would require further defensive disruption with John Stones starting alongside Marc Guehi. However, if there is to be a selection headache, Tuchel would prefer to be scouting full-backs rather than replacements for Kane or Bellingham.
My England XI to face Norway
4-2-1-3: Pickford, Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly, Rice, Anderson, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane, Saka
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