Thomas Tuchel, England's manager, has been refining his tactical approach since the World Cup. While sticking to principles like short build-up play and quick transitions, he introduced new formations during recent games, such as a 2-2 or 3-1 central unit in midfield with an extra player committed to ball progression. This change allows Declan Rice's partner, often Alex Scott or Myles Lewis-Skelly, to manage pressing teams while enabling Anderson to contribute more offensively from a back three setup. The article highlights how these adjustments aim to enhance England’s ability to play both defensively and aggressively when in possession.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
After the World Cup, Thomas Tuchel was asked whether he had seen his vision of England during the tournament - a question that drew a hesitant and unsure answer.
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that → publish → answer
Over the summer, the Three Lions found ways to win but often leaned on scrappy moments of brilliance rather than methodical dominance.
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Lions → find → dominance
Tuchel had in mind the type of team, the tactics and the patterns he wanted to see.
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he → have → team
He and his assistant coach Anthony Barry have often spoken about borrowing ideas from the Premier League.
Building up short.
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He → speak → League
These were all ideas England tried to execute, to varying levels of success, in the World Cup.
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England → try → Cup
During the recent international break, many of the ideas we saw during the World Cup and prior have persisted.
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we → see → Cup
There have, however, been deliberate changes in tactics and personnel, with the 53-year-old Tuchel looking to refine his blueprint rather than rewrite it from scratch.
So what's new and what's not?
England have continued to focus on first playing short from the back, intent on drawing opponents towards them before speeding up play to find their attackers in space.
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England → look → space
Rather than giving the build-up responsibilities to two central defenders and a holding midfielder as they did during the World Cup, England have committed an extra player to this central build-up unit.
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England → give → unit
Two central midfielders and two central defenders look to solve problems against pressing attackers with a shape that fluctuates between a 2-2 or a 3-1.
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Tuchel has praised Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, who took turns with Myles Lewis-Skelly to pair with Elliott Anderson in the heart of midfield in Declan Rice's absence.
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who → look → absence
Either player taking the role of busy partner for Anderson - boasting technical quality and an ability to take turns playing as a lone holding midfielder - have proved successful for England.
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player → take → England
Anderson, who sat at the base of midfield for much of the World Cup has, as a result, been deployed in a more varied role.
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who → sit → role
With Scott or Lewis-Skelly picking up the ball from the centre-backs, Anderson has dropped to form part of the back three alongside Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa.
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Anderson → pick → Guehi
This has given him time and space on the ball, facing forward, allowing him to use his forward passing to find attackers quickly.
'We have added another layer'
Anderson has also found himself higher up the pitch on occasion, with the protection of his midfield partner behind him, allowing him to showcase his attacking quality.
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him → give → quality
An interesting knock-on effect of this, and a nod to England's overarching evolution, has been the intensity England have shown as they have attacked.
"
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they → show → evolution
We've always played with high energy and a very aggressive style off the ball, to press high," Tuchel explained.
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Tuchel → play → ball
"Now we have added another layer.
"
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we → add → layer
We did a lot of high intensity runs, a lot of counter movements, and invested a lot in counter pressing.
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We → do → pressing
Anderson's ability to counter-press is an individual example of this improvement but more collective changes have contributed to England's increased intensity in possession.
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changes → counter → possession
Extra bodies around the ball
In the World Cup, the system looked like a 4-3-3 on paper.
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system → look → paper
The two centre-backs and holding midfielder formed a triangle.
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backs → hold → triangle
On both flanks, a central midfielder, full-back and winger formed a triangle.
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midfielder → form → triangle
Harry Kane took a roaming role.
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Kane → take → role
Key to this was constant movement as England looked to make it hard for opponents to track them.
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opponents → look → them
Although this often got England's winger one-against-one, teams could match England man for man in the wide areas, especially as they fatigued and off-ball runs that rid them of their markers became less common.
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that → get → markers
England's recent 3-1-3-3 shape in possession has given them an extra player at the back but appears to have also provided better attacking dynamics.
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shape → give → dynamics
The wide centre-back has contributed to attacking play out wide.
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back → contribute → play
England's full-back, winger and number ten work together and are often also joined by one of the strikers or holding midfielders.
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back → work → strikers
These five players have given England a numerical advantage on the flank.
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players → give → flank
This has mainly been seen down England's left.
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This → see → left
Defensively, this provides them extra players around the ball, capable of counter-pressing with more intensity to win the ball back quickly.
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this → provide → ball
Offensively, this has given them an unmarked player or two that they have often found well.
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they → give → that
By overloading the left flank, England pull opponents towards one side which has also enabled them to switch it to the opposite side for team-mates in space – often two against two.
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which → overload → .
Gordon, Hall and Kane's chemistry
Lewis Hall has stood out in this system displaying a great chemistry with former club team-mate Anthony Gordon.
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Hall → stand → mate
Hall has taken a wide position frequently, allowing his winger to move in-field playing closer to the striker.
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winger → take → striker
Tuchel highlighted England's 'counter-movements' as part of their improvement and the swapping and replacing of zones between Hall and Anthony Gordon have been a good example of this.
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swapping → highlight → this
The Barcelona winger hugged the touchline for much of the World Cup, being released in behind before crossing it, rather than finding space in the box.
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winger → hug → box
England's wide overloads and Hall's role have resulted in Gordon playing more central for longer parts of the game, allowing him to work more closely with Kane.
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him → result → Kane
With Kane dropping deep, defenders are pulled out of position, a trigger which Gordon has used brilliantly to make runs the opposite way.
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Gordon → drop → runs
The use of runners attacking space Kane creates is not new - Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers have previously found joy exploiting it, but Gordon has been the latest beneficiary, while starting out wide.
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Gordon → attack → it
Tuchel's right-sided conundrum
Gordon's narrow runs from a wider starting position have been mirrored by Saka and Rogers on the other side too - a new string to England's attacking bow.
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runs → mirror → bow
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
