England head coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed he's had conversations with Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden following their underwhelming performances in Friday's 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Albania.
The German manager, who took charge of his first game with the Three Lions, had initially commented that the forwards were "not as impactful as they can be" in the match. However, Tuchel has now clarified that he appreciates their efforts, particularly their defensive contributions.
"I have spoken to both of them and in front of the group," Tuchel told BBC Sport ahead of Monday's qualifier against Latvia at Wembley. "They know that I appreciate the effort, especially off the ball. We can see in the numbers how much effort they put into defending high and in the counter-press."
Tuchel offered specific insights into each player's situation, noting that Rashford, currently on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, had made several attacking runs that went unnoticed by his teammates. "Marcus had a lot of runs when we had the ball where we did not see him, where we did not use him. He was a little bit unlucky maybe with the timing and from time to time we oversaw him," the coach explained.
As for Foden, who has been struggling for form with Manchester City this season, Tuchel acknowledged: "Phil is just maybe not finding the momentum at the moment that he can have. But both of them are very positive, they have every right to be positive and know exactly what we want from them. But off the ball, the effort was there and that's what counts."
The match against Albania, which featured goals from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and captain Harry Kane, has left Tuchel with much to contemplate. While confirming that Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon will miss the Latvia game due to a hip injury, Tuchel indicated he's "not afraid" to make changes to the starting lineup. However, he emphasized that any alterations wouldn't be due to poor performances.
When asked how long it would take to mold England into a team that reflects his coaching philosophy, Tuchel expressed his characteristic impatience: "I cannot tell you how long it takes. I'm very impatient myself so hopefully we'll see glimpses or maybe a full match tomorrow, who knows?" he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager described the intensity of his first international camp, comparing it to a pre-season in club football. "It was a very intense week because you want to squeeze everything into the eight or nine days you have the players. Then you have to accept reality that at some point it can also be too much, which is why we gave them a day to breathe yesterday."
For the upcoming Latvia match, Tuchel has outlined what improvement should look like: "More structured, still a higher rhythm, more penetration in the opponent's box and more runs off the ball," he stated. "When it comes to the last 20 metres, we have to think more about scoring a goal. That's what we're trying to do and maybe we can show it tomorrow."
Several players are pushing for involvement against Latvia, including Levi Colwill, Marc Guehi, Morgan Rogers, and Dominic Solanke. Tuchel also mentioned it was "very likely" that Nottingham Forest forward Morgan Gibbs-White would be included in the squad after being left out against Albania.
True to his managerial style, Tuchel revealed that players wouldn't learn if they were in the starting lineup until the day of the game. "I don't know another way," he explained. "Sometimes I need the last night to get my ideas in the right order. It's just a common procedure for me to give it in the morning or even the afternoon of an evening game."
