🔗 Share this article

With six wins in six games, zero goals allowed and tournament placement assured before the final rounds, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel might claim he has chosen wisely throughout qualification.

Yet, in the build-up to Thursday's domestic match against Serbia, he initiated discussion when he said that three of the country's best players - Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane - are unable to feature in the equivalent formation.

"At the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play.

"It's possible but not within this system, not preserving harmony that we created and not for the structure that incorporates wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We currently utilize with specific numbered positions."

From automatic picks to contested places

The Manchester City and Real Madrid stars have been used in wide positions for England in the past, but Tuchel's selections imply that the Manchester United forward and Arsenal's winger are his first choices on the wing positions respectively.

So can Bellingham, Foden and Kane operate simultaneously?

The previous England manager apparently believed they could.

Bellingham, Foden and Kane started all of England's seven fixtures at Euro 2024 in Germany, where the England team were defeated by Spain in the final.

In the 16 games the trio have played alongside each other, England have won 10, shared points three times and been defeated three times, registering 36 scores and conceding 14.

Tactical insight: Foden's flexibility provides alternatives

Tuchel has utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation that alters structure when England attack.

Morgan Rogers has been the main number 10 because of his strong ball-carrying, strike quality and ability to attack the box when the striker drops deep.

Tuchel has mentioned preferring specialist wingers. The Arsenal and Newcastle stars regularly feature on the wings and can hold the ball well, take their full-back on, and enter the area to finish.

In midfield behind the attackers, Tuchel utilizes two central midfielders consisting of a holding midfielder and another with greater freedom to contribute to the attack.

So how could Tuchel use these three players?

Foden and Bellingham would be battling with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze for the creative hub, with Kane likely to start up front.

Foden could operate as the number nine, which potentially could enable both Bellingham and Foden to play at Kane's expense.

There is a potential solution all three could play in this system and Tuchel suggested it this week.

"For Man City, he operates similarly to a number eight or 10, so perhaps in coming months we consider him as a central midfielder," he said.

Foden has been deployed in a versatile central position this season.

That has allowed him to take responsibility deeper and could categorize him as the advanced playmaker, alongside a holding midfielder.

This would then permit Bellingham to feature as the number 10 and Kane as the nine.

Irrespective of whether Tuchel opts to structure the side like this at the global tournament, what bodes well is his preparedness to omit established stars in the pursuit of tactical equilibrium.