Thomas Tuchel’s England journey is about to get serious. On Friday, he’ll name his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade.
Forget the stage being set at Wembley Coldplay booked it. Tuchel doesn’t care. He just wants his players to finally play like England.
Let’s be honest: his start has been bumpy. Boos rang out in June after a limp 1-0 over Andorra and a 3-1 loss to Senegal.
Only in the last 25 minutes against Senegal did we see a glimpse of Tuchel’s vision Eze buzzing around Rogers, Madueke wide, Gibbs-White drifting, Bellingham deeper. For once, England looked alive. But where’s the joy, the fire, the swagger? That’s what Tuchel keeps asking.
Now, the rhythm of autumn fixtures could be his gift: Wales, Latvia, Serbia, Albania games close together, chances to shape something real. Tuchel has been everywhere, watching, talking, studying.
Shaw and Mount could return. Left-back remains a headache. Colwill, Saka, Bellingham? Injured. Palmer and Ben White? Doubts. Stones is finally back, Guehi too. Maguire? Gone. Rashford? Tuchel still trusts him. Foden? The wild card.
And then there’s Serbia. England haven’t played there since 1987, when Robson’s team blitzed Yugoslavia 4-1 inside 25 minutes. That night was electric. Belgrade will be a furnace again. Perfect for Tuchel to test his England against fire.
This is it. Four camps left before the World Cup. No more excuses. The squad Tuchel picks now could be the one that carries England to glory or fades into boos. Either way, the show is finally on.
This is Tuchel’s England. And it’s about to get real.
