Thomas Tuchel praises England’s attitude as unbeaten qualifying run continues

Thomas Tuchel loves that England’s output and intensity has not dropped despite ending the year with a pair of dead rubbers having already achieved World Cup qualification.

The German coach’s first year in charge has been a success on the whole as the Euro 2024 runners-up overcame a bumpy June meet-up to qualify for next summer’s tournament with two games to spare.

England could be forgiven for going through the motions in November’s dead rubber double-header, but Tuchel loves the unwavering hunger he has seen from training to game day.

That approach was epitomised by Thursday’s 2-0 win over Serbia courtesy of sublime goals by Bukayo Saka and substitute Eberechi Eze, making it seven wins from seven Group K games without conceding.

“I’m very happy with the attitude again of the team,” Tuchel said as attention turns to Sunday’s final qualifier away to Albania.

“I don’t see any change of attitude in training because the game doesn’t mean anything, or is a dead rubber as you call it, or is a friendly.

“We just keep on going and keep on going and the team is desperate to have this, to shape their identity. I think this is the only thing that we can do because then we feel good.

“Today we are tired but they know what they did and they get the praise also for it, to have another clean sheet, and they felt that it was a complicated, intense match for us, which is good.

“I’m pretty sure we will be ready, and the team will have the right spirit, to do it hopefully again in Albania, with all the respect. It will be not easy and from there we go.”

Tuchel expects more high quality training ahead of the trip to Tirana “because everyone is desperate to play”, with just two March friendlies to follow before he names his World Cup squad.

Uruguay and Japan are reportedly the “tough opponents” lying in wait for England, who find out next summer’s opposition on December 5 in Washington DC.

Tuchel will be among the travelling party as preparations ramp up having cruised through qualification, which saw them last month become the first European nation to secure their World Cup spot.

Asked if that dominance and progress is taken for granted, the England manager said: “I don’t think this is special for this country. I think the big nations take it for granted to be in the big tournaments until they are not and this, of course, happens.

“It’s very important that the players know from me, and they know from us, and they get encouraged in what they’re doing, and they see it in the proof.

“Whether we show them videos, whether we show them data, and that they feel it. They feel the appreciation from the coaches, also from the fans.

“I think the work rate and the effort that the team puts in at the moment into any match, be it a private match, friendly match against Wales, or today a match that has no impact anymore if we qualify or not, that’s at the moment the outstanding criteria and characteristic of the team and I’m very, very happy with it.

“That everyone expects (qualification), I mean, that includes also us. I also expect us to qualify, demand it from myself.”