Thomas Tuchel has held his first full English training session since he took over as an English manager, and it's quite a moment.
All 26 players of this team in England were out [for training]But there were also three additions, which is important. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Liam Delap and Adam Wharton were all recorded from the U21s, so Tuchel decided that he wants more than 26 in this training session.
We expected that Cole Palmer would withdraw from this camp from England, but the FA informed us that he is still being judged by Chelsea, so although he is not in St George's park, he is not excluded from the fight for these two games. I think you have to say that it is unlikely that he will be involved.
England had a bit of an introductory, warm-down session on the grass on Monday, but Tuesday was his first full training session and the first time with all cameras. There were also a lot of German media, they are interested in this, and Tuchel admitted that it is a very different kind of job that he is in charge of an international side.
He gave a very inspiring, emotional welcome speech, I think, to the players on their first night as a team, and he repeatedly spoke about a brotherhood between the players.
Tuchel wants to try to promote that brilliant relationship that started Gareth Southgate with the team, but he emphasized them the only goal, as far as he is concerned, is the World Cup, and the attempt to the World Cup now starts with this first international camp.
I am really impressed by him since he started the job. In every news conference, Tuchel had the English media eat from the palm of his hands that he has done so far, and in all respects he has had a similar response from the players of England, such as the inspiring speech he gave.
The players are impressed by him, but it is a very short -term job. He has a 18 -month contract and he has been there for three months before he played his first game, so he has to run the ground.
He doesn't have to try to spend young players, he has to try to win the World Cup and I think you'll see some of the names in this camp.
'Lewis-Skelly has the chance to be the first-choice left'
Jordan Henderson is probably the most controversial inclusion. He is now 34 years old, absolutely not one for the future – he is for the here and now. There will be a number of supporters in England who think he was one for the past and may not have to be involved.
But Thomas Tuchel said “absolutely nothing of that.” He called Henderson a winner, a leader, with an enormous experience and he is a lot of part of his plans for the World Cup in the future. He plays very well for Ajax, according to all accounts.
With Marcus Rashford it is a year since we have seen him play for England. He is reborn in Aston Villa – from the Football Wildernis in Manchester United, where it just didn't go well for him. It felt like he needed a break.
We know that Tuchel contacted him shortly after he had received the job in England to say that he was part of his plans, so I don't think it's a big surprise that he is now in this team.
There is a feeling at the press corps and people in football that Myles Lewis-Skell has the chance to become the first choice of England for many years to come. It has been a problem position for England for years and he is the first choice of Mikel Arteta for Arsenal.
He skipped the U21s and called it directly to the seniors. He is a great athlete, comes forward, creates opportunities, but he is also very impressive defensive. That is something that Tuchel will really appreciate.
Yes, sometimes that aggression went a bit too far. We see him twice red – albeit with one of those red cards withdrawn – and there was a feeling that he might also have seen save in the Champions League. But you don't want to take away that aggression from a defender such as Lewis-Skelly.
And what a five days then burned. He has never been trained before or stayed in St George's Park. Almost each of the English players knows St George's Park, they have trained here with the Junior teams. Not so for burning.
We asked him about that and if he had celebrated the Carabao Cup too much. And he said no, he actually tried to stop his teammates at midnight because he only wanted to sleep because he had an early call for England the next day.
Will he make his debut? We are waiting to see about that, but he gets his chance because of injuries to Harry Maguire and Ben White, who, according to Tuchel, is ready to return to the England fold when he is completely fit. But it is an opportunity for burning in the meantime to impress.
It was extremely controversial when Morgan Gibbs-White was omitted outside the team of Friday. Paul Merson even said it is a shame that he was not involved in the first place. It is an opportunity for him to impress in the absence of Palmer, but there is enormous competition in that NO10 position – Bellingham, Foden and Palmer. Will Morgan Gibbs-White get his chance? He will hope so because he has the season of his life.
'Bellingham and Kane Key for World Cup ambitions'
Jude Bellingham is now one of the senior players, despite his tender years, and is one of the most important members of this English team when they have ambitions to win the World Cup.
He doesn't like fools. I know there were some cases with Southgate, but although they did not always see face to face, there was a huge mutual respect between the two. Can Tuchel cherish a close relationship with Bellingham, put the best in him, make him a leader again in this English team and make him the very best that he can be possible?
That is probably much easier for him to make with Harry Kane. The two men became very close while Tuchel was in charge of Bayern Munich and the manager of England confirmed that Kane will continue as his captain.
Kane is currently in good shape, fit and shoots at Bayern Munich. This season he has 10 goals in the Champions League – that is more than any other Englishman has ever managed in the competition. In general, he has 32 goals and 11 assists this season.
He is a goal machine, a perfect professional, and he will definitely be the key to Tuchel's hope to win the World Cup. Kane is also influential with the rest of this English team and you suspect that Tuchel wants to cherish that as much as possible as he can.
Back Three of Four for Tuchel?
This will be an important question in the coming days if we are in charge of the first match of Tuchel, which is against Albania in Wembley on Friday.
Many people at Chelsea remember that he played with three center backs, but that was because the players he had at his disposal fitted that formation instead of necessarily the preferred formation of Tuchel.
If you look at what he did in PSG and Bayern Munich, he played the tendency to play with a rear four, so I think it could be one of them. If you ask me for my gut feeling, I think he will go four with England with England.
We know that full-back has been a difficult position. If you play with three center backs, there is a lot of expectations on the full-backs to get ahead and to offer support to attacks by England. I am not sure if he has exactly suitable for the staff to do that.
And also, if you play with wing backs, I think it can be destroyed where England is very strong, which is wide attacking players. They have so many good wide attacking options that you want those guys to be the people who come through the flanks and put the crosses in it.
It may be something that evolves and changes. It may be something that Tuchel is willing to change in the middle of competitions – he did before. Tuchel will probably use both formations in the next 15 months.
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