Logical Tuchel pushes old values at start of his new era

If Thomas Tuchel's appointment was supposed to be about winning now, his first step has been to look back.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

The recalls for Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford frame the character of his first England squad, in which there are only two players aged 21 or under. They are Jude Bellingham and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who were both obvious picks in their own ways.

The wildcard picks are curious rather than exciting, with 32year-old Dan Burn called up. Tuchel showed the charisma that should characterise his time in charge by saying he was surprised Burn had never been capped, and joking: “He is such a tall guy, but obviously it is easy to overlook him.”

While this first selection hasn’t exactly given rise to fevered anticipation or a sense of a fresh start, there is a logic to it. Logic, admittedly, doesn’t always inspire exhilaration.

This is nevertheless what Tuchel was getting at when he talked about “building a brotherhood”. He wants to create a more rounded squad, with youthful brio guided by elder figures. He clearly values the latter, and feels it is essential to victory. That represents something of a regression from Southgate’s surprisingly inexperienced squad for Euro 2024.

So, it’s a new era with a lot of old values. It perhaps creates a greater pressure to entertain on the pitch, but then Tuchel has repeatedly made a point of saying he wants his England to be “entertaining”.