England analysis: Thomas Tuchel tactical overview and predicted line-up vs Albania
The first international break of 2025 comes with excitement for England fans as new manager Thomas Tuchel takes the team for the first time.
England’s World Cup Qualifying campaign begins on Friday night when the Three Lions take on Albania at Wembley.
The team then have a short turnaround for the next game, facing Latvia on Monday also at Wembley - so Tuchel will have to utilise his whole squad over the international break.
The 51-year-old German has had a successful career at club level, most notably winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.
Even though predicting the first XI Tuchel will pick, Sports News Blitz writer Dylan Richardson has given it his best shot.
Preferred formation
During his 100 games in charge of the Blues, Tuchel predominantly played a 3-4-2-1 system, with two all-action wing-backs and some inside forwards in behind the striker.
For example, in that all-important Champions League final victory, Reece James and Ben Chilwell were the two wing-backs who provided good support on both ends.
Timo Werner played as the main striker, with goalscorer Kai Havertz and Mason Mount playing behind.
After leaving Chelsea in September 2022 with a Premier League win percentage of 56%, Tuchel returned to his home country, being appointed as Bayern Munich manager in March 2023.
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Tactical flexibility
Taking over with nine games to go in the 22/23 season, the German showed his tactical flexibility, using a four defender formation in eight of the remaining nine Bundesliga matches that season.
Tuchel stuck with his four at the back the next season, mainly playing a 4-2-3-1 with Thomas Muller or Jamal Musiala in attacking midfield with two quick wingers in Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman either side and Harry Kane up front.
No matter what formation Tuchel uses, the two that remain consistent are his holding midfielders.
The key to the system, one energetic player to disrupt the play and drive the ball forward and the other to dictate the tempo the game is played at.
From Kante and Jorginho at Chelsea, to Goretzka and Kimmich at Bayern, Tuchel will always try to find that balance in the heart of his midfield.
So how could Tuchel line up in his first game in charge of the Three Lions?
While the German is adaptable tactically, the 3-4-2-1 has been his preferred and most successful formation in his last two jobs at club level, picking up an average of 2.08 points per game at Chelsea compared to 1.95 at Bayern Munich.
Central intelligence
Looking at Tuchel’s first squad selection as England manager, however, it is impossible to tell what system the 51-year-old will set England up with - but it can be argued that all of the traditional ‘wide forwards’ he has picked can all also play centrally.
Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers and Phil Foden can all play out wide and in attacking midfield, while Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen and Marcus Rashford could also play centrally as a striker as well as out wide.
Predicted England XI
Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are almost guaranteed to start, but the rest of it could be up for debate.
If Tuchel goes with three central defenders, the likelihood is that Marc Guehi will also start alongside Walker in the heart of the defence, with the final place going to either Dan Burn or Levi Colwill.
The midfield partner to Rice makes sense to either be Curtis Jones or Jordan Henderson, with the rest of the midfield more fitting into the attacking midfield roles.
Attacking midfield roles will be the most in contention but Bellingham and Foden should be the two that roam behind Kane.
Predicted England XI vs Albania (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Colwill; Jones, Rice, James, Lewis-Skelly; Bellingham, Foden; Kane.
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