England manager Thomas Tuchel has called for focus and collective responsibility as the Three Lions prepare to face Wales in a friendly tomorrow. The fixture comes just days before England’s next World Cup qualifier against Latvia next week a crucial game as the team looks to maintain their strong start to the qualifiers, Softfootball reports.
Tuchel’s side have begun their qualifying journey on the right note, but the German tactician warned against complacency, insisting that the friendly against Wales presents a vital test of mentality and squad depth.
Speaking at the pre game press conference via the teams official website, the England boss revealed that several players are unavailable due to injuries, including captain Harry Kane, but expressed confidence in the quality and competition within his squad, he said;
It’s a good thing that we have tough choices to make because we have a strong squad and we have strong players to select from. We have a huge pool of players and we decided for this camp to stick mostly with the team that had a brilliant camp last time.
Tuchel added that four players from the previous starting eleven will be unavailable for selection, making rotation unavoidable. However, he stressed that England’s progress under his leadership remains consistent and built on clear principles, he noted;
Now we have already some injuries. We cannot play with the same 11 against Serbia because four players are already missing from the starting 11, so it was natural that we have changes but we believe in what we’re building, we believe in what we feel, we believe in what we are seeing with this team and with this squad and like I said, the competition is on.
Tuchel also praised the leadership core of his squad, pointing to John Stones’ return as a major boost. The England coach described the Manchester City defender as a model professional whose presence raises the group’s overall standards, he stated;
I love that he’s in camp. He had only half a camp with us last time and I saw how gutted and sad he was that he had to leave again. He’s a deep thinker, he’s such an intelligent and very sensitive personality. It’s just brilliant to have him, together with Harry, with Jordan, with Declan – they have an attitude towards training, they have an attitude towards what it takes to be a professional football player, to be a team player that is of the highest standards.
Interestingly, England via its official X handle, posted an exclusive video culled from the press conference, with Tuchel having alot of praise for Manchester City defender John Stones who has been a long time serving player for the Three Lions, They posted;
Looking ahead to the Wales clash, Tuchel expects a tough and tactical encounter, noting that their opponents will embrace their underdog status, he said;
We had only a very short period of time to prepare [for] the match because in my belief it will be a difficult and complicated match because we play against a very well-coached team that have a very brave approach to play. They will make the most of the underdog role in which they play tomorrow – they will thrive in this role.
Tuchel said England’s focus will be on maintaining their level of performance and extending their winning mentality into both fixtures, he stated;
I cannot give any guarantees for any result but I know how we want to play football and I know the level that we showed in the last match is the level that we can show. We will have some changes tomorrow and I just want that we play, that we deserve tomorrow. We play tomorrow to win, we want to win and want to keep our thing going.
The England manager also took time to highlight the team’s participation in the Alzheimer’s Society International initiative, describing it as a meaningful opportunity to raise awareness through football, he noted;
We’re so happy that we can raise a subject like this and bring it into the spotlight. I think this is only a positive thing that we can do as a national team and I know that the players are happy to contribute to such actions.
Softfootball understands that despite the injuries and withdrawals of key players like Reece James and Harry Kane, Tuchel remains confident that England’s mix of experience and youthful energy will keep them sharp as they face Wales tomorrow and turn their focus to Latvia in next week’s World Cup qualifier.
