Players ‘puzzled’ by tactics but Tuchel left himself no other option with his squad picks | Thomas Tuchel

When Thomas Tuchel became England’s head coach he spoke repeatedly about wanting his side to adopt a Premier League style. He wanted intensity, pace, full-throttle football. Tuchel offered clarity, his analysis was precise and his squad for the World Cup was built around the idea of overwhelming opponents with physicality and relentless running.

There were roles for specialists and places for…