Inside the foyer of the England team hotel in Kansas City, alongside TV screens showing World Cup matches, sits an anachronism: a record player. Younger squad members looked genuinely baffled by it, unsure what the strange plastic circles were. The Football Association had obtained vinyl versions of each player's favourite songs, and the initiative proved popular, though Harry Kane insisted on playing country and western. "Harry, this is not leadership," Tuchel might have thought.
Music has been a key theme for England. Training sessions feature songs blasted from pitch-side speakers, with a playlist ranging from Dr Dre, Coolio, and Tupac to Luther Vandross. After England's 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas last Wednesday, the moment of communion came with Oasis's 'Wonderwall' played over the PA system. Kane called it one of his "favourite ever moments in an England shirt." Tuchel, who watched Oasis at Wembley last September and was spotted yelling along, described it as "one of the best days" of his career. The classic has the potential to replace 'Sweet Caroline' as England's tournament anthem.
Tuchel's Britpop Vision
"Hopefully it becomes an anthem," Tuchel said. "That is exactly what a tournament like this is for – the connection between fans and the team. I am so glad because I think the fans saw and felt what I see and feel every day with this team. They felt the energy, the team spirit, the commitment. And from all this energy came the synergy after the match. It was a beautiful moment and it meant a lot to all of us. Hopefully we can recreate this in the next game."
The next game is against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday at 4pm local time (9pm BST). The theme is connections: how Tuchel drives them, how he wants his team to mirror the Premier League with speed, physicality, and risk-taking, and the importance of set pieces. Call it guitar-rock football or Britpop football – something with irresistible momentum. Tuchel and his players found the spark with a second-half surge against Croatia, and the aim is to do it better.
Tuchel's Demanding Nature
Tuchel is a different animal now the serious business has started. The edge is there, and players have felt it. During training on Saturday, Tuchel ordered Djed Spence to wake up in full view of the media. This kind of thing does not normally play out when cameras are present, but it spoke to the German's demanding nature. The clarity and transparency of his set-up were illustrated by assistant Anthony Barry's candid critique of the team during the interval against Croatia. "Tournament Thomas is here," observers noted.
"I don't do any extras," Tuchel said. "It just gives me a lot of energy to be in a competitive tournament and be in a competitive mode and be surrounded by world-class players and fantastic personalities. It energises me and that's how it needs to be done. I'm influencing the players and staff so I have to be on the front foot. And also not too much. I want to have the right mix between relaxation and the smile and the arm round the shoulder and good spirit. But I hope that they feel it because the competition is on. I want to be at my best and support them, help them be their best because it's their stage. It's their potential that has to bring us all the way."
Analysis of Croatia Win
The Croatia game was not perfect. The first-half display was messy, with England's deep buildup play disjointed against the opponent's press and spaces in midfield not right. Without the ball, Tuchel's team sank too early into a low block. The concessions were soft, especially the second goal from Petar Musa on the stroke of half-time. "We were a bit too man-man focused and didn't rely enough on our structure to be able to push out again and into the opponent's half," Tuchel said.
The positives were more plentiful, particularly the relationship between Kane and Jude Bellingham. FIFA technical study group expert and former Costa Rica forward Paulo Wanchope detailed how Tuchel asked midfielders Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson to vacate the middle, dragging opposing players away and allowing Kane to drop into a deep playmaking role, creating an overload. With wingers high and wide, Bellingham threatened between the lines. "It was clear Kane and Bellingham had worked on it," Wanchope wrote.
Still only 22, Bellingham is set to win his 50th cap against Ghana. Tuchel was glowing in his praise: "I saw the full potential and the full commitment of Jude. There is no doubt that a game and competition like this brings out the best in him but it needed improvement. The connection between Jude and Harry, the connection between Jude and Declan and Elliot, it needs improvement and needed improvement. It was a big step. Jude played fully into our idea and he was fully committed to the team idea and team spirit and to play in full cohesion with everyone else. He was super reliable and had a top performance."
Ghana Challenge Ahead
Tuchel expects Ghana to present a different challenge on an occasion when the temperature at kick-off in Boston is predicted to be 19°C, with possible rain. "I expect more ball possession," he said. "I expect Ghana to rely on counterattacks because they are very physical, very fast and dangerous."
England have established their own principles. "There will be different topics to take care of but without losing our momentum, without losing our passion," Tuchel said. "We still need our spirit and to be courageous enough to go for it."
