7 Questions for Thomas Tuchel: The Future of the England National Team at Stake

The Three Lions coach is without key personnel for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia as he looks to improve on June's poor performances.

Thomas Tuchel finds himself in a paradoxical position as England prepares for its World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. The Three Lions could hardly be in a better position to secure their place in the tournament, leading Group K by four points after winning their first three matches. And yet, as things stand, they look miles away from being among the contenders to go all the way in the USA, Mexico, and Canada next summer.

England's last training camp in June proved to be a complete disaster, as they barely edged out Andorra before losing a friendly against Senegal, and they have a lot of ground to make up with just four more matches before the manager names his World Cup squad and the countdown to the tournament begins. However, things have already gotten off to a rocky start this time around, with key players such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer ruled out through injury.

Thomas Tuchel faced considerable criticism in the English media as soon as he was named Gareth Southgate's long-term successor, partly simply because he is German, but also due to the short-term nature of his contract, which expires after the World Cup. The team's lackluster performances under his leadership have done little to sway those skeptics, but a resounding victory against lowly Andorra and a win in Serbia—their main rivals for the group lead—would go a long way toward winning them over. Here are seven questions the England manager, and Thomas Tuchel in particular , must answer over the next five days to improve the current atmosphere surrounding his team.

Should Pickford remain number 1?

Jordan Pickford has been England's undisputed No. 1 since 2018, but competition for his place in the starting lineup has intensified recently. Dean Henderson showed his big-match mentality as Crystal Palace won the FA Cup final, although he then failed his England audition against Senegal. However, a more serious threat to Pickford appears to come from James Trafford, who has been tipped to succeed the Everton goalkeeper in the national team.

Trafford was the hero of England’s Under-21 Euro triumph in 2023, and his star rose further after his incredible season with Burnley in 2024-25, where he conceded just 16 goals in 45 Championship games, with a save rate of 85 percent. He can also rival Pickford for penalty saves, having saved one in the last gasp in that Under-21 Euro final against Spain, before saving two in a single game against promotion rivals Sunderland earlier this year. Trafford expressed his ambition to take the number 1 shirt from Pickford shortly after returning to Manchester City, although the club’s decision to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma on deadline day means he could now struggle to get regular first-team football. Healthy competition never hurt anyone, and one of the qualifying matches, particularly the match against Andorra, would be an ideal time to give the young hopeful his international debut and see how he performs under pressure.

Who should play right back?

Thomas Tuchel has made two significant decisions at right-back in his September squad selection. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been surprisingly omitted, while Kyle Walker has paid the price for his poor performance against Senegal by also being left out. This means the position is wide open, with three contenders in the squad this week: Reece James, Tino Livramento, and debutant Djed Spence.

James is the obvious choice given his experience, not to mention the fact that he won the Champions League with Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel . However, his injury history—six extended absences with hamstring problems in the last four years, including a lengthy layoff following surgery—makes it risky to build the squad around him as the starting right-back for the World Cup. The 25-year-old isn't necessarily Chelsea's first choice either, having lost his place to Malo Gusto in the last two matches. Livramento, meanwhile, has become accustomed to playing on the left for Newcastle despite being naturally right-footed, and the same is true of Spence, who is making a strong early impression on Thomas Frank at Tottenham on the left side of defense. With Alexander-Arnold likely to return to the squad once he settles at Real Madrid, this is a great opportunity for all three candidates to stake their claim to be his main competition for a starting spot.

How can you improve your relationship with your staff?

Thomas Tuchel has a complicated relationship with his players. News that he partied with members of Chelsea's Champions League-winning squad earlier this year suggested he might be approachable, but his habit of speaking out of turn—such as saying his mother finds Jude Bellingham "repulsive"—for which he apologized last week, showed how easily he can alienate people.

The England manager clearly doesn't have the same close bond with the squad that Southgate did, and probably never will. But Thomas Tuchel also needs to avoid being seen as another Fabio Capello, who had a distant and often conflictive relationship with his players, which, unsurprisingly, didn't do the team any favors. Tuchel needs to make the most of the limited time they have together to get to know his players better and, above all, avoid repeating past mistakes. Tuchel himself knows that managing the dressing room is key.

Who can fill Bellingham's void?

Even after being insulted by the manager's mother, Bellingham remains the heart of this England team, just as he was in recent years under Southgate. He will be sorely missed at this training camp as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery, and someone needs to fill the void he leaves in both quality and grit, especially when England visit Serbia.

Elliot Anderson, who has earned his first cap thanks to some standout performances at the Under-21 European Championship, is the player who shares the most traits with Bellingham of all those in the squad. He can play in the double pivot of midfield as a box-to-box operator and also proved adept at playing in the No. 10 role for Nottingham Forest when Morgan Gibbs-White was absent last season. Gibbs-White can also fill in for Bellingham in an attacking sense, while Morgan Rogers, a West Midlands native like Bellingham, has played in the No. 10 role for Aston Villa and did so for England against Latvia in March.

How can the team excite the fans?

Thomas Tuchel may have a 100% record in official matches as England manager, but his team has yet to deliver a truly convincing performance despite facing some very manageable opponents. Matches against Albania and Latvia in March were decent but uninspiring, while the hard-fought victory over Andorra was almost embarrassing before the defeat to Senegal truly set off alarm bells.

Although Southgate didn't seem to be a champion of attacking football given the criticism he often received, his team routinely demolished smaller nations (for example, scoring six goals twice in World Cup group stages). Even though Southgate's biggest wins were against inferior opponents, those victories boosted the team's confidence and morale among the fans. Thomas Tuchel could certainly benefit from the feel-good factor of a big win, especially with certain sections of the media targeting him. Therefore, his team must deliver a resounding victory against Andorra and a convincing performance in Serbia to win over the many skeptics and build momentum ahead of the World Cup.

Who will step up without Palmer or Saka?

Thomas Tuchel has had the misfortune of being without two of England's most exciting players in two of his three international breaks, with both Saka and Palmer missing the March matches before injuries ruled them out of this month's fixtures. However, England has no shortage of exciting wingers to fill their places, with Noni Madueke and Jarrod Bowen vying for the right-wing spot vacated by Saka, while Eberechi Eze will have his sights set on the central role Palmer usually occupies on the international stage. Eze will be looking to improve on his goal against Latvia—his only one for his country—while this is the ideal opportunity for Bowen to improve on his meager tally of one goal in 16 appearances for the Three Lions.

Who should accompany Rice?

Declan Rice has been one of the first names on England's squad sheet since switching his allegiance from Ireland in 2019, but finding the right partner for him has been a dilemma for both Southgate and Thomas Tuchel . Bellingham has played alongside him on occasion when not deployed as a number 10, but the Real Madrid midfielder's attacking prowess has occasionally left the team vulnerable.

Rice's Euro 2024 teammate, Kobbie Mainoo, hasn't been called up by England for over a year, while Jordan Henderson has only started one of the four matches since his return to the squad in one of Tuchel 's most unpopular decisions . Curtis Jones and Conor Gallagher, who have also played alongside Rice in previous squads, are absent this time. Adam Wharton would have been a natural partner, but had to leave the camp due to injury. Wharton's replacement, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Henderson would be the safe bets, although perhaps the most obvious candidate is Anderson, given the summer he enjoyed under Lee Carsley with the Under-21s.

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