England manager Thomas Tuchel left the United States in July pining for greater control. At his first squad announcement since the World Cup on Friday, the German spoke of "embracing the chaos". Is it possible to have controlled chaos?
It seems Tuchel is ready to find out. England's third-placed finish in the US was the nation's best performance at the World Cup since 1966. But the memories of the team's semi-final loss to Argentina linger.
In the aftermath of the heartbreaking defeat, Tuchel pointed to his team's inability to find control having taken the lead via Anthony Gordon's opener as a key factor behind his side's late collapse. Fast-forward two months, however, and the messaging is rather different ahead of the four upcoming Nations League games. "Football is about adapting to situations and football without any control is sometimes hard to digest for a coach, if you look at the 6-4 against France [in the World Cup bronze-medal match]," said Tuchel.
"But people talk about it like it's one of their nicest experiences ever, to watch a football match, so maybe I have to compromise in my wish for control, for a little bit more chaos, embrace the chaos, and maybe it brings out the best." Tuchel recalls Alexander-Arnold and Palmer with warning Mixed signals? Or maybe it is just a sign that Tuchel wants his side to become more unpredictable in their search for success. Because that is what the best teams do - mix it up when required.
Despite Tuchel's remarks, his latest squad for the fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia rather contradicts any thoughts of a havoc-rich approach. The return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer, two of English football's most technically gifted players, screams control. So do the call-ups of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, who are both extremely adept in possession of the ball.
Of course, there is certainly a balance to be struck. That would be Tuchel's ideal scenario. Rio Ngumoha's first senior call-up will certainly add an air of unpredictability to Tuchel's options.
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