Thomas Tuchel has expressed confidence that the occasion and tension of the World Cup will bring out the best in England when they face Croatia in their opening match on Wednesday. The German manager, leading England for the first time in a major tournament, believes the competitive environment will elevate his team's performance.
Tuchel's Confidence in High-Stakes Matches
England cruised through qualifying but have a patchy record against top opposition, drawing with Uruguay and losing to Japan and Senegal under Tuchel. However, the head coach is optimistic about the team's mindset in a competitive game. 'Because it's not a friendly match, we will not try stuff,' Tuchel said. 'We will rely on us and the occasion and the tension will bring out the best in us.'
Tuchel aims for England to play with the intensity of a Premier League side. 'We should play brave and play to the strengths of the players,' he added. 'I feel clearly that the players want it and that they are successful in club football like this. They compete in the strongest league, most of them. The others who are not in the league compete in the highest level in Europe and Champions League and they play in brave and active teams.'
Preparations and Squad Dynamics
England's buildup included a pre-tournament training camp in Florida to acclimatise to the heat, followed by preparations in Kansas City. Tuchel expects Jude Bellingham to start over Morgan Rogers at No 10. 'They know,' Tuchel said of the players' awareness of the World Cup's significance. 'I don't feel any emotional fuel is needed to make everyone clear what is happening.'
The squad has been working on set-pieces and looked sharp in a recent thrashing of Costa Rica. Bukayo Saka is a doubt due to an achilles problem, with Noni Madueke an option to replace him. Ezri Konsa and John Stones are expected to start in central defence over Marc Guéhi.
Respecting Croatia's Threat
England could overpower an ageing Croatia side but must be wary of the craft of Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric in midfield, as well as Ivan Perisic, who scored in Croatia's 2018 World Cup semi-final win over England. 'It is a very difficult start,' Tuchel acknowledged. 'It is an experienced team, an experienced coach, in tournament knockout football. It's a top football nation and a very strong opponent.'
Tuchel highlighted Croatia's strengths, including Modric and Kovacic in midfield and Perisic's crossing ability. 'That is one of the most dangerous crossers in world football, maybe – left foot, right foot, he does not even need space to put a cross in. It is remarkable. And they are strong in set pieces.'
Squad Updates
Full-back Tino Livramento is out of the tournament after suffering a muscular injury in training, with Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah called up as a centre-half option. The squad will play a behind-closed-doors game against Sporting Kansas City after the Croatia match to keep players sharp. England's next group game is against Ghana on Tuesday.
