‘No easy way back for Bellingham as Rogers vindicates Tuchel’s strategy’published at 08:26 BST
08:26 BST
FT: England 3-0 Wales
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
Thomas Tuchel may have expressed public displeasure with England’s fans after the emphatic Wembley win against Wales, but the performance of his players will have left him feeling only the warm glow of vindication.
Tuchel delivered a highly-critical and unusually blunt verdict from any coach in the direction of his own “silent” supporters after a 3-0 stroll was effectively wrapped up inside the first 20 minutes.
It was, however, another message delivered by the German manager that will carry wider significance as England gather momentum towards next summer’s World Cup.
Tuchel’s words stretched way beyond the shockwaves that greeted Jude Bellingham’s exclusion when he named his latest England squad.
He made it crystal clear that England’s star system was over, that players in possession could cement their places by sheer weight of performances, the biggest names no longer guaranteed an automatic recall.
England victory in the Wembley friendly must be placed in the context of Welsh opponents with eyes seemingly fixed on their vital World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Monday, but this was still a night with a large measure of satisfaction for Tuchel’s strategy.
Tuchel made it clear he is picking an England team, not individuals. He even stated: “We are not collecting the most talented players. We are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else.”
Rogers, on the evidence of England’s past two games, is fast becoming the poster boy for the new identity Tuchel wants to create.