England 3 Latvia 0: James and Eze off the mark – and what has Tuchel learned?

England’s journey to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada has started with successive wins to fire their qualifying campaign. But in truth, for the new head coach Thomas Tuchel, this first get-together probably posed as many questions as answers.

Latvia, a team ranked 140 in the world by FIFA, were the latest opponent to visit Wembley, sit deep and seek to stifle. To that end, they were largely successful; the forward-thinking options Tuchel instructed to pick them apart only convinced in fits and starts, and England had to wait until midway through the second half to bask in a two-goal lead.

It ended as a comfortable victory, but there was plenty of huff and puff to endure before it was secured.

Reece James’ glorious free kick, arced over Latvia’s defensive wall from distance, seven minutes before the break was a highlight. Yet they might actually have trailed earlier in the contest, Vladislavs Gutkovskis capitalising on confusion between Marc Guehi and Jordan Pickford only to skew a shot into the side netting with an open goal gaping.

That was an isolated incident amid blanket England possession, with a flurry of chances of varying quality passed up. The best early opportunity fell to Ezri Konsa, a snapshot from the edge of the six-yard box that Krisjanis Zviedris instinctively palmed over the bar. The goalkeeper was fortunate not to concede a penalty after dropping a cross and felling Jarrod Bowen in the ensuing panic.

But James’ reward was not really the prelude to a rout.

Too much of England’s play ran aground in a cluttered Latvian penalty area, with Jude Bellingham’s frustrations prompting one booking and flirting dangerously with a second. He was eventually withdrawn and, within minutes, Declan Rice was marauding forward to supply Harry Kane with a second to provide some relief. Eberechi Eze, running at back-pedalling defenders, contributed his first international goal in what time remained to add some gloss.

Dan Sheldon and Conor O’Neill dissect the main talking points at Wembley.

What did Tuchel learn from his first get-together?

Two World Cup qualifiers, two wins, two clean sheets, six points and goals in both games for Harry Kane, the striker Tuchel brought to Bayern Munich in August 2023.

Even though it was the start everyone expected given the level of opposition — Albania and Latvia were never likely to cause England too many issues — it was important for Tuchel to begin his tenure in a positive manner, and that is exactly what he has done.

At times you would be forgiven for thinking Gareth Southgate was still in the dugout based on the style of play, but Tuchel is not going to be judged on these performances. It’s all about next year’s World Cup.

Against Latvia, paper planes were being thrown by the supporters from inside the opening 10 minutes to the final whistle. Whether that was out of boredom or people merely copying each other is anyone’s guess, but several of them made their way onto the pitch. Those paper planes fluttering down from the top tier always were a good barometer of an England performance, though there were reasons for optimism in both these performances.

Tuchel watched his new team secure successive victories (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Tuchel knows how valuable the international camps are between now and next summer, with England not back together again until the beginning of June. He would have taken an awful lot from the last week or so, getting to know his squad on a more personal level and also seeing what works and what doesn’t. That will make him more equipped in three months’ time.

One thing he already knew before taking the job was how important Kane is going to be during the next 18 months, and the striker showed why he remains the best option in attack for England, scoring in both games to take his international tally to 71.

Plenty of other players have staked their claim for a place in the squad going forward, most notably Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. Morgan Rogers did little wrong on his first start against Latvia, while Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze came off the bench to add England’s third and round off a comprehensive victory.

This team remains functional. Making them more entertaining, against opponents intent on defence, is a work in progress.

Dan Sheldon

Did the wingers function better this time?

There was always going to be added scrutiny on Tuchel’s selections out wide after he publicly criticised Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden following the Albania match, saying “both our wingers were not as impactful as they normally can be”.

Particularly against deep-defending, low-block sides like Albania and Latvia, Tuchel wants his wide players to be proactive, to drive at defenders and create space.

But that is not necessarily Foden’s game. He has attempted just 39 take-ons for Manchester City this season in the Premier League — in stark contrast to Jarrod Bowen’s 102.

As the graphic below shows, Foden rarely makes those classic winger runs to the byline, favouring central movements instead.

On paper, Bowen’s skill set aligns more closely with the kind of direct, aggressive wide play Tuchel is seeking. Yet in the first half, the West Ham talisman never really got going. He stuck to Tuchel’s instructions — regularly trying to beat his man or deliver early balls into the box — but little came off and his end product posed minimal threat.

Rashford, by contrast, looked far more lively. However, for all his endeavour, he too struggled to find the final pass or beat his marker consistently.

His pace did trouble full-back Roberts Savalnieks throughout the first half, and his whipped cross to Jude Bellingham caused Zviedris to spill the ball and take out Bowen resulting in a VAR penalty check.

The wingers swapped sides at the start of the second half, but it made little difference, and it was no surprise when Tuchel introduced Crystal Palace’s Eze for Bowen just after the hour mark. Eze’s goal was a perfect example of what Tuchel demands from his wide players. He drove in from the left, bamboozled Alvis Jaunzems with a flurry of quick stepovers, and fired in a deflected effort to seal the win.

Eze fires in his first international goal (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

Games like this are always a challenge for England’s wingers. The opposition’s low block leaves little space to run in behind, and they are often double-marked in wide areas. Against stronger teams, there will be more transitional moments for Bowen and Rashford to showcase their qualities, but even then their end product will need to be more clinical.

Eze, however, staked his claim for a start with his impressive 30-minute cameo.

Conor O’Neill

How did Reece James fare?

James was an integral part of Tuchel’s Champions League-winning squad at Chelsea. The German predominantly played the 25-year-old as a right wing-back, so, in that context, it was not surprising that he returned to the England setup for the first time in two years.

For Tuchel at Chelsea, James was an attacking force down the right, providing just under 17 per cent of the team’s assists when he played. Only Mason Mount (12) had more under Tuchel than James (nine), with 42 per cent of James’ career Premier League minutes having come during Tuchel’s 20-month tenure at Stamford Bridge.

James dispatches his free kick to give England the lead (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Before the game against Latvia, Tuchel stressed that James, who has been blighted by hamstring issues since the England head coach left Chelsea in September 2022, needs to “prove” that he is still capable of getting up and down the right flank. He also declared that he is “very, very fit” now, with his minutes having been carefully managed at club level since his most recent return to fitness.

Against Latvia, James had Tuchel wincing in the first 10 minutes after leaping into an aerial challenge and clattering into Andrejs Ciganiks. Nearly half an hour later, though, and the head coach was out of his seat celebrating the full-back’s first England goal. The free kick was a work of art, dispatched beyond the wall from distance to dip perfectly inside the post. Zviedris, watching aghast on his line, was helpless.

This was James’ first England start since September 2022; he is now the first defender to score a direct free-kick goal for England at Wembley since Stuart Pearce against Turkey back in 1992. That is illustrious company. Yet the goal was also a mark of perseverance.

Having gone from one of the country’s most exciting right-backs to being written off due to his injury issues, it was undoubtedly special.

Dan Sheldon

Did Morgan Rogers take his chance?

In an interview aired by ITV before the match, Rogers credited his strong season to Aston Villa manager Unai Emery for trusting him in his best position.

Tuchel echoed that view pre-match, noting that Rogers would feature in “more offensive” areas than the player he replaced in the lineup, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones. Tuchel also highlighted Rogers’ physicality, saying he hoped the attacking midfielder would “use his body, penetration and dribbling”.

Those qualities were evident early on. In the 10th minute, Rogers received the ball on the half-turn at the edge of the area, shrugged off his marker, and fed Rashford. Ten minutes later, he showcased his quick feet, collecting a pass from Jude Bellingham on the right wing, gliding past Ciganiks, and delivering a cross. Drifting out right was a constant feature of his performance, and he found more joy out wide just minutes later, linking up tidily with James before the Chelsea defender delivered a dangerous cross to Kane.

Rogers completed four dribbles in the first half, more than any other player.

Rogers eases beyond Ciganiks (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

He was involved in the second goal, slipping a short pass into the path of the onrushing Rice who squared it for Kane to tap home. Overall, it was an impressive first start for a player looking to cement his place in Tuchel’s World Cup plans.

Tuchel mentioned before the match that he is considering playing “a 4-1-4-1 with five very offensive players and more or less Dec as a holding midfielder”. Rogers’ performance tonight will give him more reason to consider that attacking setup — especially in games against defensively-minded sides like Latvia.

Conor O’Neill

What did Tuchel say?

Asked by ITV whether this was an improvement to Friday’s win over Albania, Tuchel said: “Yes, I guess so. It was not an easy match. We had to unlock it. I saw a lot of good things, we had a good result, another clean sheet, we created a lot of chances from set pieces and, okay, we needed a free kick to unlock it. But in general I’m happy with the attitude, I’m happy with the energy and desire to do the stuff that we want. And we look at that.”

On James’ performance? “I know Reecey and I know the quality the boy has. It’s amazing. He has every right to be proud and happy and satisfied with his performance. He’s in excellent shape. When we called him up we knew he had not so many games (under his belt), but it was not due to injury. Chelsea just took care of him and managed him. In consecutive weeks in training he looks sharp and looks in shape. And about the quality there cannot be any doubt.”

Was the second goal more of the template for your England? “It was better acceleration. Especially in the second half, we started a little bit too slow, slowing the game down and playing too much without movement, which makes no sense. We didn’t want to do this. But the second goal was well worked because we had some acceleration from a position where they didn’t expect it. We had the front five but the acceleration came from one of our No 6s, from Declan, into the space. We encourage everyone — Reece, Myles (Lewis-Skelly) and Declan — to have these late accelerations. We struggled a little bit until that goal, but you saw also what the goal gave us: a lot of freedom and a little bit of excitement, and everything felt a little bit easier after that.”

Tuchel spied positives (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

Rogers’ performance? “Good, I’m happy with him in general. He deserved to start because he trained very well and played very well for Villa. I think in a match where we are so dominant it can suit him a little bit more to play from the wing. Once we put him on the wing, he felt a bit more freedom in the first touches and he can work his way into his dynamic movements. There was a little bit more space than in the half-space. But it’s interesting because I learn about the players, I learn about the game and that’s good.”

What next for England?

Saturday, June 7: Andorra (Away), World Cup qualification, 5pm UK time, 12pm ET

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(Top photo: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)