Tuchel says England’s 7-0 win shows World Cup pain is healing

Thomas Tuchel says England’s emphatic 7-0 victory over Croatia shows the team are beginning to recover from the pain of their World Cup exit three months ago.

Tuchel was heavily criticised after England surrendered a semi-final lead against Argentina in July. His decision to make the side more defensive late in the match backfired, with Argentina scoring twice in the final five minutes to end England’s hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966.

The former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager faced intense scrutiny over his tactics and whether he still had the confidence of his players. But England’s performance in Rijeka has given him fresh evidence that the team have learned from the experience.

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored twice each, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers were also on target as England recorded the biggest win of Tuchel’s tenure.

England had started the international break with a 3-2 defeat by world champions Spain in the Nations League, although their display had encouraged Tuchel. They then beat the Czech Republic 2-0 on Tuesday after their opponents were reduced to 10 men.

The victory against Croatia was a more complete attacking performance, with Kane, Gordon and Saka particularly influential. Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott provided a strong central midfield platform, while Bellingham impressed after returning to the starting line-up following a substitute appearance against the Czechs.

“I’ve said many times, we will always have a scar, we will always feel pain and disappointment,” Tuchel said.

“That is the way it is but this is the way to move forward. We adjusted some stuff after the World Cup and we played in the same manner in all three matches.

“We are getting better at it and the team buys into it, this is the most important.”

Croatia had lost only four of their previous 41 home matches before England inflicted their heaviest defeat. However, Slaven Bilic’s side are no longer the same team that reached the World Cup final in 2018 and the semi-finals in 2022.

The result leaves England on course for a top-two finish in their Nations League group, which would secure a place in the quarter-finals in March.

“This is the only way to move forward, even if you still feel pain,” Tuchel added. “You have to play with the pain if you still feel the disappointment, you have to play with it, that is the nature of sport.

“It was not an easy camp in the beginning after this long tournament for multiple reasons. But it was excellent from the first training session.

“To bring it within these circumstances in Croatia, to win with this dominant performance, that is the way to move on.”

Tuchel also praised Bellingham, saying the midfielder appeared to have reached a new level.

“At the moment, it seems like he’s gone to another level,” he said. “The level you showed last week is never enough in the next week, that’s just the nature of football.

“You can never stand still. You have to push for the next level, otherwise other teams will catch up. That’s why it is always necessary to reach for the next level.”