"It didn't exactly feel like a thrilling three-way shootout for the role of England's top gun No 10. At least, not for the opening hour anyway. Wembley was a sodden place at kick-off, the rain falling in huge slow flakes, the kind of rain that puts a lid on the world. And for long periods this was a strange, bloodless experience, a World Cup qualifier with very little qualification at stake beyond the dwindling hopes of Serbia."
"You have to hand it to Thomas Tuchel, currently cresting a wave as England's first master of negging, founding member of the don't really give a toss school of international management. Tuchel got what he wanted out of this, whether it was an act of power-play, a twitch of the thread, or just lighting a fire under both Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, cast in the tole of underlings and finishers here, and by the end the most interesting elements on the pitch."
A rain-soaked Wembley produced a subdued World Cup qualifier that felt bloodless for long periods, with Serbia's hopes dwindling. Thomas Tuchel adopted a strict selection stance, insisting on a single central creator and excluding Jude Bellingham from the starting lineup. The tactical choice positioned Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden as supporting finishers rather than part of a freewheeling trio alongside Harry Kane. Tuchel's approach appeared designed to provoke response and instill urgency among the players. The match became a de facto selection playoff and underscored English football's recurring tensions over star treatment and balance.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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