"Thursday evening's win over Wales was another step forward for Thomas Tuchel as England manager. England were comfortable in the friendly at Wembley and Tuchel has been characteristically bold in his comments about keeping his focus on team over talent with World Cup 2026 on the horizon. Serbia's surprise Group K loss against Albania in Leskovac on Saturday means England would secure their World Cup spot with a win over Latvia in Riga on Tuesday."
"Tuchel was brought in to replace former manager Gareth Southgate with a brief to continue England's trend of routine qualification and add a sharper winning edge in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. With the first box close to being ticked with two games to spare, attention will soon turn fully to the second part of the job. It hasn't been a case of continuity at all costs for Tuchel and England's defence isn't just an evolving group it's a crucial one."
"England's back four against Spain in the European Championship final in 2024 featured Marc Guehi and John Stones in the middle, Kyle Walker on the right and Luke Shaw on the left. At 35, Walker was last called up for England in the summer. Shaw hasn't appeared for England since that final. In contrast, Guehi and Stones played 80 minutes together again at Wembley in the most recent game."
Thomas Tuchel's England secured a comfortable friendly win over Wales at Wembley, reinforcing momentum toward World Cup 2026 qualification. Serbia's unexpected loss to Albania means a win over Latvia in Riga would clinch England's spot with two games to spare. Tuchel replaced Gareth Southgate with a brief to maintain routine qualification and improve England's cutting edge for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Defensive selection is a priority, with Marc Guehi now seen as the central figure and John Stones competing for position alongside him. Questions remain over roles for Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw.
#thomas-tuchel #england-national-team #world-cup-2026-qualification #marc-guehi #defensive-selection
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