Tuchel’s England look to establish identity against Latvia after Albania win | OneFootball

England’s new era under Thomas Tuchel began with a 2-0 victory over Albania, but the German was quick to highlight areas for improvement.

Against Latvia, the challenge is to build on that performance and establish a clear identity under their new manager.

Winning was expected, but Tuchel’s brutally honest assessment of the display showed his standards.

England were efficient but not spectacular, and Albania had moments where they could have made things uncomfortable.

Tuchel admitted his side lacked a cutting edge in the second half, and he will expect more fluency at Wembley Stadium on Monday.

Despite the scrutiny, the result cemented England’s dominant record in World Cup qualifying. They have now gone 32 games unbeaten at this stage since a 1-0 defeat to Ukraine in 2009.

Their home record is even stronger, with their last World Cup qualifying loss at Wembley coming against Tuchel’s native Germany in 2000.

Tuchel’s meticulous approach has already become apparent. His comments about squad selection suggest that England’s training sessions offer players a clear indication of their roles.

“Most of the players know when they see the last training,” Tuchel said. “Thiago Silva knew at Chelsea that he was playing. Antonio Rudiger knew. Jorginho knew.”

While Harry Kane’s place is not in question, others are fighting for their spots. Marcus Rashford was a surprise inclusion against Albania, and Tuchel hinted at potential changes for the Latvia match.

“We have reasons to let all of them play again and say, ‘let’s do better,’ but we also have reports from the physical department,” he said. “Maybe it will be a mix between both.”

Anthony Gordon has withdrawn from the squad after picking up an injury, while Morgan Gibbs-White could feature after a late call-up.

Tuchel praised the Nottingham Forest midfielder’s attitude. “Morgan is an amazing character,” Tuchel added. “It should be an honour and a privilege to play for England. The egos have to be put aside.”Latvia may not pose a significant threat, but they are unbeaten in five World Cup qualifiers away from home.

They have previously drawn against Turkey and Norway and won their last two against Gibraltar and Andorra.

Tuchel wants England to play with intensity and control, regardless of the opposition.

His first game offered a glimpse of what he expects, but the real test is whether England can push on and dominate lesser sides in a way that has sometimes eluded them in the past.

The game against Latvia offers an opportunity to take another step in the right direction.