Tuchel: England have levelled up by taking ‘calculated risks’

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Thomas Tuchel feels England unlocked a new level during their opening Nations League fixtures by learning to take more “calculated risks”.

Having lost 3-2 to world champions Spain in a thrilling Group A3 opener at Wembley, England responded with three straight victories to all but secure a quarter-final place.

In between a pair of wins over Czechia, the Three Lions inflicted a humiliating 7-0 defeat on Croatia in Rijeka – their biggest-ever margin of victory over a team in the top 50 of the FIFA World Rankings.

It was also Croatia’s heaviest-ever defeat, surpassing a 6-0 loss in Spain eight years ago, and it more than doubled their previous largest margin of defeat at home (4-1 to England in 2008).

That performance was a far cry from England’s meek semi-final surrender to Argentina at the World Cup, with their 2-1 defeat leading to widespread criticism of Tuchel.

Between going 1-0 up through Anthony Gordon and conceding an 85th-minute equaliser to Enzo Fernandez, England had just 11.9% possession in that match, the lowest share ever recorded by a leading team in a World Cup game over a period of at least 10 minutes (since 1966). Their leading passer in that period was centre-back Marc Guehi, with six. 

But Tuchel feels the response to England’s World Cup failure bodes well for the future, with a high-energy, front-footed approach being the way forward. 

“I have never done a big tournament or a big camp after a tournament,” Tuchel said, as quoted by The Guardian.

“It was new for me and brilliant to see how everyone bought in to the idea of the next steps and the details we needed to adjust, to maybe unlock the next level.

20 wins under Thomas Tuchel  The fastest any England manager has reached that milestone  https://t.co/tS7eMzsBKO

— England (@England) October 7, 2026

“It was football at a very high level, football that suits us, attacking football. It was a lot of high-ball wins, and we took some calculated risks in the man-to-man approach in the opponents’ half. 

“We did it in all four games and we had four good performances, but unfortunately, not four wins. 

“We didn’t beat Spain, but it was always about the reaction and that was on a high level.”

Defender Jarell Quansah echoed those sentiments, saying: “It’s about being relentless and ruthless. 

“As soon as we score a goal, it’s not easing off, it’s going again, going again, trying to get the next goal, trying to put the next player under pressure.

“Everyone’s working for each other. If someone gets outplayed, the next person is into a tackle.”

This summer, against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the round of 16, Quansah became just the fourth England player to be sent off in a World Cup match, after Ray Wilkins in 1986 against Morocco, David Beckham in 1998 versus Argentina and Wayne Rooney in 2006 against Portugal. 

Although Quansah’s team-mates clung on for a memorable 3-2 win, the Bayer Leverkusen man has still not got over that dismissal, saying: “It was horrible. 

“I went into the tackle quite fast so it was a bit unlucky to end up the way it did. Being inside and watching the team pull through was gut-wrenching but an unbelievable moment as well.”

Women’s Football

‘Bring it on’ – Bright sets sights on glory after Chelsea’s Champions League comeback

Premier League News

‘Best is yet to come’ for Fulham, says Silva

UEFA Conference League News

‘Chelsea fans have to trust us’ – Maresca issues rallying cry to Blues’ faithful

UEFA Conference League News

‘Chelsea are back’ if they win Europa Conference League, Maresca insists

Nations League

‘Every Portugal player’ wants to see Ronaldo win World Cup – Dalot

Premier League News

‘Every point is expensive’ in the Premier League, says Iraola

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.