England secured a 2-0 victory against Serbia in their latest World Cup qualifying match, maintaining their perfect record in the campaign. It was Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze who netted the important goals to ensure the win. With the magical tactical adjustments of manager Thomas Tuchel, their performance dynamic completely turned around. Even with the win, the question isn’t just about Jude Bellingham’s future, it’s about his present – he has not played yet consistently at the highest possible level.
Tuchel’s masterstroke was to leave high profile players like Bellingham and Phil Foden on the bench. Instead, he decided on Morgan Rogers to fill the No. 10 role. This decision emphasized Tuchel’s liking for tactical flexibility and most notably his faith in the younger talent. Rogers impressed on both sides of the ball all game long. Even in the face of intense competition for attacking roles, he showed exactly why Tuchel continues to favor him.
Tactical Adjustments by Tuchel
Against Serbia, Tuchel made an aggressive call. He did a tremendous job of freeing up England’s best attacking players to create and finish chances inside the 18. Many pundits were shocked that the manager started Morgan Rogers over established talents such as Bellingham and Foden. Looking back, that audacious decision turned out to be hugely prescient. Rogers, though, with his feisty, cavalier intent, brought something new and unexpected to England’s onslaught.
In reacting to his own highly publicized substitutions, Tuchel showed a willingness to adapt in the moment. He stated, “It was a difficult match, a complicated match, we had to adapt and be flexible. Maybe throughout the match we lacked a little bit of precision with the last pass, otherwise we could have created more and scored earlier to be a bit more calm.”
England’s formation saw Declan Rice operating higher up the pitch, while Harry Kane played a deeper midfield role, allowing for a more fluid attacking strategy. The tactical changes certainly reaped dividends as England dominated large portions of the match and generated a myriad of chances to score.
Performance Highlights
For England, Ezri Konsa proved a revelation at the back, putting in important last-ditch denials to help earn his side a clean sheet. His display was a key factor in helping ease the burden on number one keeper Jordan Pickford, who was commended for his work under the high ball. Tuchel was quick to praise his defensive trio. He added, “We had a number of times where we needed to defend really strong right to the last minute to keep our clean sheet. In special recognition of Jordan and the back four today.”
Furthermore, when Phil Foden entered as a false nine late on, the difference was palpable. Foden later commented on his versatile role within the team: “I’ll play wherever the manager puts me. I can play multiple positions and I was happy to come on as a false nine. I enjoyed it. Maybe it will get the best out of me, only time will tell.”
The introduction of Nico O’Reilly at left-back was his first appearance for England at any level. O’Reilly’s inclusion into the squad, deepening England’s backline even further, only further boosts England’s defense as they set their sights on upcoming Super Six action.
Looking Ahead
After this successful match, England continues to pave its way to possible qualifying in the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. The newly expanded FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The tournament’s next draw will take place in Washington on December 5. On that day, the Three Lions will learn the identities of their group stage foes.
No matter the result of England’s ongoing campaign for the World Cup, building on this momentum and tackling the key issue of individual player performances will be essential. The combination of emerging talents like Rogers and O’Reilly alongside experienced players such as Kane and Rice positions England well for upcoming matches.
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