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Thomas Tuchel's philosophy was initially centered around continuity; The England coach wanted to build on the positives achieved in the World Cup, and he tended to keep the vast majority of the players who participated in the journey to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in North America during the summer. His roster for the four matches in the UEFA Nations League was not supposed to see drastic changes. But even the best plans may not always go as planned!

When Tuchel was preparing to announce the England national team list in mid-September, he was aware that he would lose the efforts of a group of players who participated in the World Cup due to injury, and then he lost another group of players after announcing the list. Moving quickly to the match against the Czech Republic at Wembley Stadium, which is the last match in the series of four matches, and after the departure of more players from the list, Tuchel has only 12 players remaining who were available to him during the World Cup. He realizes that the football train moves quickly and does not wait for anyone, and that flexibility is a basic condition in his profession, but the situation seemed different this time.

Tuchel and his technical staff were determined to test a new way of playing, in an effort to overcome the bitterness of the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. Again, no radical changes were required, because the basic principles were already in place; They wanted to give the players greater freedom to move inside the green rectangle, and encourage them to play with greater confidence and take risks, provided that all of this was within a general framework that gave priority to team play and covering empty spaces. Tuchel needed new players to implement this style, and as he reviews the outcome of this positive period, which witnessed a loss to Spain followed by three victories: two against the Czechs and a crushing 7-0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka, the German coach will undoubtedly feel that he has found these players.

The international camp always produces winners and losers, and these differences may be more apparent this time given the timing. There was an atmosphere suggesting a new beginning and a desire to turn the page on the loss to Argentina in the World Cup, and this period was scheduled to lay the foundations for achieving the ultimate goal of winning the European Nations Cup 2028. The most prominent beneficiaries of this period were Alex Scott and Lewis Hall, with special praise for Miles Lewis Skelly. James Trafford also strengthened his chances of seizing the starting goalkeeper position from Jordan Pickford, and Trent Alexander-Arnold also stood out with his distinguished performance, full of precise technical details. As for the losers, they can be chosen from among the absent players, as Tuchel explained that their task will be more difficult. He said: “It always goes like this; Everyone must have a great desire to join because the train has already set off and will not wait for anyone. All appreciation to the players who absorbed and adopted this philosophy. We can only devote our full energy to the camp and the players in it, as they are the ones who give a special character to the camp.”

Tuchel described both Scott and Hall as “very special.” In Scott's case specifically, Tuchel could not hide his extreme enthusiasm. Scott performed well when he came on as a substitute in the 70th minute in his first international match against the Czechs in Prague, and he also shined from the start against Croatia, drawing attention to him thanks to his flexibility in turning the ball and his distinctive runs. It was striking that when Anthony Barry, Tuchel's assistant, talked about midfielders who are flexible and have a high running ability to suit the team's style, he mentioned three names: Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson (both of whom have a fixed position), in addition to Scott. Unfortunately, Scott suffered an aggravation of his thigh injury during the Croatia match, which will keep him out of action for two months and prevent him from participating in England's matches in November against Croatia and Spain. Tuchel had previously worked with Scott in November 2025 and in the World Cup preparatory camp in Florida, and commented: “Alex has returned this time on a completely different level; "He was very strong."

This period was also very positive for Miles Lewis Skelly, whom Tuchel relied on as a midfielder, rather than a left-back, for the first time. The 20-year-old started three matches, coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute against Croatia. The only concern was that he received two warnings in the two matches against the Czechs; Which led to his suspension from England's home match against Croatia. In a somewhat surprising statement, Tuchel said regarding the yellow card that the player received at Wembley Stadium: “I was not aware of that yellow card,” although he is fully aware of the necessity of avoiding situations that might lead to obtaining a red card.

Kobe Maino is one of the potential victims of the brilliance of Scott and Lewis Skelly. Tuchel was keen to express his sympathy for the Manchester United midfielder due to the injury that forced him off the list, especially since he did not play him for even a single minute in the World Cup. But with Declan Rice confirmed to return after an agreed break, and James Garner in the spotlight, Maino will have to do more to prove his worth; The same applies to Jordan Henderson, who was not fully fit after suffering a broken arm during the World Cup.

Lewis Hall seized the opportunity available to him in the left-back position, as he took over after Nico O'Reilly participated against Spain and was subsequently forced to leave the list; Hall started all the subsequent matches, and Tuchel described his performance in the three matches as “excellent.” This means that the player deserves to be on the roster during November camp. On the other hand, this represents bad news for both Nico O'Reilly and Djid Spence, who has not participated in any matches this season.

But has Trent Alexander-Arnold done enough at right-back after his surprise call-up? He gave his best during the opportunities he had as a starter in the two matches against the Czechs. He sent in a brilliant cross that paved the way for Anthony Gordon's opening goal in Prague, and he also produced a powerful attacking performance at Wembley Stadium. Everyone is aware of Alexander-Arnold's abilities, and he has confirmed them again, and the matter still exists that it is necessary to include him in the team due to the unique skills and advantages he possesses that make the difference in difficult moments.

On the other hand, what will Tuchel do when Reece James, Tino Liveramento and Jed Spence become available to participate? The German coach previously explained that he places these three players in a pecking order ahead of Alexander-Arnold. He also pointed out that he could have called up Ben White if he was physically ready, in addition to the presence of Jarrell Quansah, even though the player prefers to play in the center of defence. This is the position that Tuchel actually played him in against the Czechs at Wembley Stadium, preferring him to Trevo Chalobah and Jarrad Branthwaite.

Furthermore, Cole Palmer was subjected to harsh criticism after his exit from the list, especially after Tuchel questioned his desire to play for the England national team. The road seems long and difficult for the Chelsea playmaker to return to the list, and the same applies to Phil Foden. Tuchel ignored them when he sent a late invitation to Morgan Gibbs-White, and it seems that they do not suit the fierce attacking style that the team is currently using. Tuchel said about this: “I don’t know if they are suitable for the way of playing or not, this is the answer, quite frankly.” They were not with us. “The team has taken a step forward, and it is always about the players who are here.”

There is a lot for Tuchel to think about before the November matches; He hopes that John Stones will regain his usual fitness and level. There is a belief that Stones' move to the Italian Premier League, which has a slower pace of play, may help him regain his balance. Marcus Rashford is expected to return; He has a positive reputation with Tuchel, even if Anthony Gordon has guaranteed himself a starting place on the left wing. Will Noni Madueke succeed in returning to play on the right side after being excluded from the list? What about the strikers Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, who play in the Saudi Professional League and who were also excluded? Tuchel now sees Jude Bellingham as a replacement for Harry Kane in the striker position, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin was given only brief substitute appearances in the matches against Spain and the Czech Republic at Wembley Stadium. Thus, the competition train moves very quickly and waits for no one!

*The Guardian service