Kyle Walker has pointed to Thomas Tuchel's ability to change a game from the dugout as the trait that separates the German from his predecessor Gareth Southgate, after England opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia despite being pegged back twice.
The sides went in at half-time locked at 2-2, before Tuchel made tactical tweaks that instantly made England the dominant side. Jude Bellingham put England ahead for a third time, and Marcus Rashford made the game safe late on.
“Kyle Walker says Thomas Tuchel's half-time changes against Croatia set him apart from Gareth Southgate.”
Walker, writing in The Sun, acknowledged that Southgate's reluctance to make changes was a weakness. “When I look back at the tournaments I played under Gareth Southgate, there is a difference compared to how Thomas Tuchel operates,” he wrote. “It is the way that, against Croatia, Tuchel made substitutions at the correct time and brought fresh legs on. Gareth tended to stick with the XI he trusted in and only made a few changes here and there. I was part of that XI so it benefited me, but sometimes when you’re on the field, you’re thinking ‘go on, make a change, do something’ and Thomas got that right. If you’ve got Saka, Rogers and Rashford coming on when they did with about 20 minutes left, it would scare any team in the world.”
Tuchel did not make any personnel changes until beyond the 70th minute, when he introduced a triple substitution, but his half-time tactical message had already shifted the momentum. “I said that no matter what the result is, I want them to do it their way, our way,” Tuchel said. “I want them to be brave, courageous, intense, on the front foot, and do it together, and, and just go for it, and, and try to take it, and be active.”
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Tuchel knows there are areas for improvement before the group stage continues. The Three Lions boss has identified what his side must work on, according to a summary of his post-match comments. Walker, a mainstay under Southgate, admitted that while he benefited from Southgate's loyalty, the ability to change the game when plans go awry is now a clear strength under Tuchel. The former Three Lions boss, who reached at least the semi-finals in three of four tournaments, was often criticised for sticking with trusted starters rather than turning to his bench. Against Croatia, Tuchel's boldness paid off – and England have four points from their opening match.