Analysis of Thomas Tuchel's best night as England manager
Serbia 0 - 5 England analysis
Thomas Tuchel spoke like a man who sensed his best night as England manager was coming the moment he touched down in Belgrade.
Author | Josh D
Goals from Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford seal a wonderful night in Belgrade for the Three Lions. They have taken a huge step towards next summer’s World Cup.
A much improved performance
Questions over Tuchel's methods had grown louder after Saturday’s laboured World Cup qualifying win against Andorra. It was a fourth straight competitive victory, yet one that ended with swathes of the Villa Park crowd heading for the exits long before full time.
This was an emphatic response. Tuchel’s team produced a masterclass that dismantled Serbia in their own fortress, silencing a hostile crowd almost from the first whistle with a performance of complete dominance.
For Tuchel it was close to perfection. England not only claimed a resounding win that leaves them five points from qualification with three games to play, but he also departed with the welcome headache of increased competition for places.
The most striking element was the flair and invention England displayed in the absence of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, both widely seen as automatic starters. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer was unavailable, while Phil Foden is still trying to re-establish himself at international level through his Manchester City form.
In their stead, Noni Madueke impressed with a goal and a sparkling display, making it five direct goal involvements in nine England appearances. Elliott Anderson built on his promising debut against Andorra, while Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers grew steadily into the contest, looking at ease on the international stage.
Bellingham remains the natural occupant of England’s number 10 role, but Rogers offered a reminder that Tuchel has alternatives should he want them.
Anderson earns Tuchel’s praise
Tuchel singled out Anderson for special praise, with the numbers backing up the Nottingham Forest midfielder’s influence. He has completed 182 passes across his first two England appearances, 107 against Andorra and 75 in Belgrade, the highest total recorded by Opta for an England midfielder in their opening two caps since August 2008.
England’s starting eleven in Belgrade contained only four players with 25 caps or more, while four others were still in single figures. It was only one game, but the lift this gave Tuchel and his blueprint was unmistakable. After a slow start to his tenure, England looked ablaze in the Serbian capital.
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That was something his predecessors often struggled with. Sven-Goran Eriksson, for example, routinely picked established stars and tried to cram the biggest names into his side, at times shunting Paul Scholes out wide, but rarely struck the right balance.
Momentum starts to grow for Tuchel
Tuchel has said his first two England camps were about observation and learning. The next three, he explained, will be focused on building competition for places before narrowing down his squad.
It explained the broad grin on his face as he departed his media duties following England’s most convincing display since he replaced Gareth Southgate.
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There was history too. England became the first side to score five goals in an away competitive fixture against Serbia, extending their winning run in competitive matches to eight. Jordan Pickford registered his seventh successive clean sheet without making a single save, Serbia failing to hit the target with any of their three attempts.
England’s dominance was stark. They managed 24 shots, 12 of them on target, and had 42 touches inside Serbia’s penalty area. The hosts managed just four.
