Thomas Tuchel says England must continue moving forward to avoid being overtaken after describing their 7-0 away victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League group stage as an “incredibly impressive” and “complete” performance.
England maintained a high tempo and displayed strong technical quality and hunger for possession from the opening minute, although Tuchel acknowledged a brief spell after they went 3-0 ahead in which they conceded a chance, made passing errors and allowed Croatia to contest 50-50 balls and deliver crosses.
The head coach was particularly pleased with his players’ attitude after half-time, saying they remained humble and never became complacent. He also praised the substitutes for their energy, work rate and quality.
Tuchel highlighted Alex Scott, who made his first start for England. He said the midfielder looked “very fluid and comfortable on the ball”, showed excellent decision-making and played with confidence and assurance. Scott’s movement and commitment without the ball were also praised after he combined with Elliott Anderson and Garner in midfield to provide fluidity, versatility and extensive running coverage.
Asked jokingly whether he felt like taking “a bite out of the grass”, Tuchel laughed and said the past three days had been “fantastic”. England had relaxed and enjoyed the coastline after their match against the Czech Republic before returning to tactical meetings and training.
He said the players had successfully refocused despite an unusual atmosphere in Croatia, where the warm-up had felt more like an open training session than preparation for an important match. Tuchel credited them with combining seriousness, enjoyment and effort.
The result followed England’s performance against Spain, which Tuchel considered excellent despite an unsatisfactory result, and a positive response against the Czech Republic. He said the team’s tactical work in meetings was now being transferred effectively to matches.
“Even if you still feel the pain, you have to play with it,” said Tuchel, referring to the disappointment of the World Cup. “That’s the nature of sport.”
He added that England would always carry “a scar” from that disappointment but had made adjustments since the tournament. Across their three matches, he said, they had shown the same approach and philosophy and were becoming increasingly proficient.
Tuchel also praised England’s front four, whose aggression, fluidity, counter-pressing and movement had caused Croatia considerable problems. He credited the full-backs and midfielders for their overlapping runs and support, while saying the attackers were developing a stronger tactical understanding by playing together regularly.
“They currently look extremely threatening,” he said.
Jude Bellingham was another standout performer, having impressed at the World Cup and continued that form during the training camp. Tuchel said the midfielder appeared to have reached a new level, but warned that past standards could never be taken for granted.
“The level you showed last week will never be enough for next week,” he said. “If you’re on a reverse-moving escalator, you have to keep moving forward just to stay in the same place.”
Tuchel said England must keep developing because otherwise opposing teams would catch up. He described the squad as trustworthy and said the players had again applied lessons from their previous two matches, training sessions and tactical meetings to deliver at the highest level.
