“A reality check for England?”: Thomas Tuchel positive despite of a lackluster stalemate against Uruguay

England's stalemate with Uruguay has exposed a lot of loopholes in the team. (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, licence details)

England are the firm favourites to lift the title heading into the FIFA World Cup this year in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada. Thomas Tuchel’s side impressed in the World Cup qualifiers, but a 1-1 stalemate against Uruguay gave them a stern reality check about their actual progress under the German coach. The Three Lions failed to impose such a threat at Wembley against a Uruguay side that is young and going through a transitional period.

From the beginning England appeared to be slightly off-rhythm and slow on the ball, and they failed to implement the quick transitions, rotations on the field and vertical passing to intersect the South American giant’s midfield. Uruguay were defensively disciplined, went for every duel and disrupted England's positional gameplay.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side showcased a typical Latin American-style defensive and aggressive approach against the Three Lions. Their midfield lacked control, and the front trio seemed to be off rhythm by quite a mile. Tuchel's side could not dominate the game as they would've wanted and lacked a cutting edge, which is extremely crucial in knockout tournaments like the World Cup.

The German boss dismissed the lacklustre display as a stern reality check ahead of the big tournament. He said that he ‘learned a lot' from this performance despite a lot of his starting players being on the bench. Arsenal defender Ben White went from being the hero to the villain as he scored in the 81st minute to give England the lead. However, late in injury time he fouled Federico Vinas inside the box, with Federico Valverde converting it from the spot.

Tuchel, who has named a 35-man squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, gave a chance to plenty of new players like James Garner and James Trafford, who made their debuts for the Three Lions. The German boss dismissed the lacklustre performance and added that this was a great learning and experience ahead of their final game before the World Cup against Asian giants Japan.

"It was a bit feisty and tough. I learnt a lot, because it was a tough opponent, and you just see it in the details. You learn a lot in the details, also the behaviour, and you see the level. If you play against [Manuel] Ugarte, if you play against [Federico] Valverde in midfield, you see the level. You play against the winners and these defensive players; it's a high level, and then you instantly see, so we needed this kind of test," said Tuchel. (sic)

He added, "Japan plays a very unique style, with normally a back five, so wing-backs and then two 10s and then switching sides." So we need to be on point tactically. But this is what we expect from the guys who got a break. We will deliver some solutions, and they need to put them into life.” (sic)

A worrying sign for England and Man City: Phil Foden struggling to find form

A significant talking point in England's scrappy 1-1 draw against Uruguay was the quiet display from Manchester City star Phil Foden. The youngster is one of the most talented players in the Three Lions squad, but he failed to make any impact in the game.

Despite being deployed in an advanced number ten role behind Dominic Solanke, he found himself within a crowd of Uruguayan defenders unable to find space to exploit in which he thrives usually.

Foden’s touches seemed rushed and looked quite out of rhythm. His decision-making in the final third was also a huge letdown. A player of his calibre who is able to dictate the tempo of the game and is brilliant in possession, he seemed quite lost on the night, which is a rare sight for the young lad.

Uruguay also did a good job in nullifying England's threat up front, as they were extremely aggressive and disrupted the home side’s build-up with constant fouls. Ronald Araujo and Manuel Ugarte should've been sent off for the reckless challenges they had made in the game, but since it was just a friendly fixture, the match official was quite lenient. Therefore, the English players took less risk to avoid any unnecessary injuries ahead of the biggest tournament in football.

However, it is not fair to single out Foden for his poor performance on the night, as the team as a whole lacked cohesion, especially the front three. Even the midfield lacked control and the cutting edge it usually has with Jude Bellingham or Declan Rice.

James Garner did a good job on his debut, while Jordan Henderson also did a good job as a leader of the team. However, that X-factor and creativity were missing in Tuchel's midfield. Adam Wharton, who came on for the English skipper at half-time, did a brilliant job, and he could be called up for England for the WC squad.

Marcus Rashford was one of the positives for England as he produced the home side's best attacking moment from the left flank when he dribbled past three after taking the ball from his box to the edge of the opposition box. He showcased incredible skills and pace during that move, but unluckily, his cross missed everyone in the box. Had it found someone and gone in, it would've been one of the best goals England would've scored under Thomas Tuchel.

International fixtures against especially South American teams ahead of big tournaments often serve as testing grounds, and Tuchel's experiment suggests that he has to stick to the basics to grind out results. The lack of cohesion amongst the players was clearly visible, something that the German boss definitely needs to work on before heading into the World Cup.

Tuchel is positive about the team but not complacent. This stalemate against Uruguay won't matter much in the future, but it could be significant as it has exposed some of the big loopholes inside the English squad. For Foden and Ben White, it was a night to forget, but the whole team needs to learn from this result, as it might prove crucial for them in the future.