Coach Thomas Tuchel sure England football stars buy into team-first mantra

LONDON – Thomas Tuchel insisted that England’s stars have bought into his team-building ethos, after Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden were only given substitute appearances in the 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Serbia on Nov 13.

The German coach introduced Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham and Manchester City forward Foden in the second half at Wembley, as he kept faith with the players who had impressed in England’s previous three matches.

The Three Lions had in October already sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup, with a commanding 5-0 victory in Latvia coming hot on the heels of another 5-0 rout of Serbia in September.

Bellingham had not played for England since June, while Foden missed the previous three international camps – both owing to injuries.

In a pointed message that places must be earned by performances rather than reputations, Tuchel kept the star duo waiting before sending them on after 64 minutes against the Balkan side.

The pair combined to set up substitute Eberechi Eze’s 90th-minute goal after Bukayo Saka put England ahead in the 28th minute.

Tuchel is convinced that he has created a strong sense of purpose and unity among his squad since taking charge in January.

And the 52-year-old believes that togetherness will ensure there are no problems with player pouting, even if they do not feature in the starting line-up at the World Cup.

“It is not about building a starting XI. It is about building a team. They are all big players at their clubs, they are all disappointed when they don’t play. This is normal,” he said.

“But they buy into this idea of building a team. This is what we want and what we need. There is no other way around it. Only a strong group that can put their ego behind, the disappointment behind, and contribute to give the coach a headache for the next match.”

Bellingham has had to endure reports that he is a polarising figure in the England side, but Tuchel is well aware of his fiery midfielder’s qualities and there is no chance he will be jettisoned from the squad.

Whether he is able to break into the team in time for the World Cup is another matter.

But Tuchel, buoyed by seven successive World Cup qualifying wins without conceding a single goal, is convinced England’s team leaders will set the right tone at the tournament next June and July.

“We have a strong culture with a core of leaders in the team. The atmosphere in the squad has the right energy,” he added.

“Everyone is desperate to play. It is a good sign. Camp by camp we build a culture and the players take care of the standards. If we make sure we are going in the right direction maybe something special can be built.”

Aside from the two goals, it was a largely non-descript contest as England lacked urgency at times and Serbia had no real quality.

There was an encouraging England senior debut for young City left-back Nico O’Reilly, whose blocked shot looped up for Saka to sidefoot a majestic left-foot volley for his 14th England goal.

There was also a record-extending 10th clean sheet in a row for England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. AFP, REUTERS