Pressing Issues

• A discussion of what manager-elect Thomas Tuchel may have observed from England’s 3-0 win in Athens.
• A look at why Jude Bellingham was at his very best.
• Insight into youngsters’ performances which could help England for the next decade.

Bellingham Brilliance

In an extremely positive showing from most England players, the standout was a dominant performance from Jude Bellingham. The freedom he was handed by Lee Carsley saw him constantly driving with the ball, asking questions of the defence, winning fouls – culminating in the shot which led to the own goal of England’s second. It was the most confident he has looked in an England shirt for a long while.

Since leaving Birmingham at seventeen up to a few months ago, Bellingham’s meteoric rise to stardom was relentless. But a small dip in quality during the Euros, and his adoption of a deeper role at Real Madrid, has seen some questions raised over an apparent drop off in form.

Despite this criticism, the manner in which he dictated the midfield and dizzied the Greek defence served as an irrefutable reminder of his ability.

Thomas Tuchel will be desperate for this version of Bellingham when he takes charge.

Young Stars Shine

It was a night to remember for Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, and most significantly, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones on debut. Amidst the range of young talent on display, these three were the most impressive.

Madueke’s first start offered England dynamism and direction on the right wing, with the creating two big chances, and offering three big passes during his hour on the pitch. He made Kostas Tsimikas look incredibly uncomfortable, and got the assist for Watkins’ opener as his reward.

Rico Lewis operated very closely to how he would for Manchester City – inverting from full back to offer an extra man in midfield. The 19-year-old is a brilliant footballing mind who undoubtedly has a role to play for England over the next decade.

On a special occasion for Jones, the 23-year-old put in a performance to be proud of. He grew into the game after slightly shaky start, but his ball progressing ability and awareness shone through as the game went on. As England sat deeper in the second half he did struggle to be involved in the game, but he popped up in the box at the perfect time and scored a beautiful flick to make it 3-0.

The team’s performance did reflect the fact that England have an incredibly talented young group of players, and the icing on the cake was the high quality on show from these three.

What will Tuchel Take?

With all the positives to take: a clean sheet and the guarantee of a Nations League playoff fixture amongst others, there is a slight cloud over the England squad at the moment.

Citing his desire to “have a clean start” to managing the Three Lions as the reason for not taking control of any Nations League games, the absence of Thomas Tuchel despite his appointment a month ago does feel odd.

Set to take charge on January 1st 2025, the German will have had a keen eye on Athens, and will like plenty of what he saw from a fairly makeshift team.

Jude Bellingham’s performance will likely be the biggest highlight for the German, as his impressive showing coincided with him having the support of Curtis Jones and Conor Gallagher behind him, giving him freedom and creative license. This could be something Tuchel looks to employ – and it could be even more impressive when Declan Rice returns to duty.

Given Tuchel’s preference for a 4-2-3-1, Rico Lewis could well become a regular at the back for England. The ‘modern’ way of inverted full backs would offer England an extra man in midfield, and allow them to move towards playing the popular ‘3-2-5’ that many top teams use in possession.

This would be an evolution from Tuchel, as he has historically preferred physical full backs – but versatility is one of the 51-year-old’s biggest strengths.

Another standout for Tuchel will be the incredible performance from Jordan Pickford, whose five saves – including an incredible stop to deny Vangelis Pavlidis, were the backbone of England’s win. If there was any doubt over who England’s number one will be under Tuchel, there isn’t anymore.