Thomas Tuchel’s approach to the international window involves evaluating players against each other for each position, creating competitive tension.
Tuchel’s Long-Term Vision and Immediate World Cup Focus
Tuchel named 35 players for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, including nine players he has not previously worked with. He recently signed up to stay on for Euro 2028, indicating longer-term planning. Tuchel wants to assess players like Ben White, Lewis Hall, Kobbie Mainoo, James Garner and Fikayo Tomori.
Tuchel has also called up Jason Steele, Harry Maguire, Harvey Barnes and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Their presence in the camp could be useful for the next European Championship. Steele is seen as a training goalkeeper, while Maguire, at 33, is running out of time.
The World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico is the ultimate dream. This is the final England get-together before Tuchel selects his 26-man squad for the tournament. Tuchel is comfortable with the Uruguay game being a shootout for players to stay in contention for the tournament.
Tactical Approach and Positional Clarity
Tuchel structured the squad with an initial 24-man group, adding 11 players for the Japan match, including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane. Each of the 11 would go to the World Cup if it were tomorrow.
Tuchel says he will have a maximum of 23 outfield players for Japan, so at least seven will be released back to their clubs. He has identified those he is most likely to send away and has informed them of his intention. He has not made this public to avoid it being “not nice” for them if they read their names in the newspapers.
If any of those players were to excel, he would change his mind and keep them on. The incentive is there for the players who are not first-choice selections and those further on the fringes. The competitive tension pulses.
Tuchel is obsessed with positional clarity. There is room for a bit of flexibility but not much. Tuchel sees pretty much every player in a specific position and, broadly, he wants two to battle for each spot. So against Uruguay, for example, it is Noni Madueke versus