England manager Thomas Tuchel has described the growing sense of unity within his squad as a 'precious brotherhood', marking a significant shift from concerns over player commitment raised just a year ago.
A Transformative Atmosphere
The back-to-back European Championship runners-up have already secured their place at the upcoming World Cup with two qualifying games to spare. Despite this achievement, the team is expected to maintain its high standards in Thursday's home tie against Serbia at Wembley and the subsequent away fixture in Albania.
This positive atmosphere arrives twelve months after captain Harry Kane questioned the commitment of some teammates, suggesting they had forgotten the honour of representing England following a spate of withdrawals from the squad.
Those remarks came during Lee Carsley's interim managerial spell. Now, under Tuchel, the unity that was a hallmark of Gareth Southgate's tenure is being carefully cultivated once more.
Building a Brotherhood Everyone Wants to Join
'What we are trying is to build a strong bond, to build an energy, to build a group, to build a team, to build a brotherhood that everyone wants to join,' the England boss stated.
Tuchel emphasised that this creates a healthy competition for places, where players understand that pulling out of a challenge or a camp without good reason could see someone else take their shirt. He framed this not as a threat, but as an incentive, creating an environment 'that everyone is keen to come to, loves to come to camp, loves to perform for the country because it is an honour.'
He described representing England in a World Cup as 'the pinnacle' of elite football and confirmed the squad is 'absolutely on the right way,' with every player desperate to be involved.
Focus on Wembley and Fan Inspiration
While pleased with the squad's development, Tuchel's immediate focus is solely on the Serbia qualifier. This match marks England's first return to Wembley since the German criticised the stadium's atmosphere during October's friendly against Wales.
Tuchel anticipates a defensively organised Serbian side and believes the key to accelerating the game and igniting the crowd lies in England's intensity off the ball. 'The best moment maybe to accelerate the game... is off the ball, meaning implement our high pressing and go after them from minute one,' he explained, hoping this will create 'a spark' that reaches the fans.
He reiterated that it is the team's responsibility 'to get the spark and inspire' the supporters, and when asked if he regretted his previous comments about the Wembley atmosphere, he firmly stated, 'No. It was a genuine reaction.'
Defending his candid approach, Tuchel added, 'If you only go in life and you only say what people want to hear then you become a fish. I am not a fish.'
