Thomas Tuchel has demanded that England’s players speak to one another more during difficult periods in games, as he starts his quest to win the World Cup next year.
The new head coach underlined the importance he attaches to communication by showing his squad a graph detailing how interactions reduced significantly in the second half of the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.
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The figures were shared during a team meeting at St George’s Park as Tuchel prepares for his opening game, the World Cup qualifier against Albania at Wembley on Friday.
A study was done of how often each player gestured at or spoke to a teammate against Spain. England went 1-0 down in the 47th minute and, although Cole Palmer equalised in the 73rd minute, they conceded a decisive late goal.
England’s interactions – the number of times they communicated with one another – were far too low for Tuchel’s liking during the second half, falling from 60 before the interval to 35. “That’s where Spain dominated and we couldn’t get up to them after that,” the goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said, reflecting on Tuchel’s message.
Morgan Rogers referred to the topic when asked what Tuchel had pinpointed for improvement. “The communication aspect,” he said. “When momentum shifts in a game, we stick together.
“It’s not going to go perfect. It was about sticking together and being together as one, and speaking to people. Just talking and being on that same page, that makes a massive difference when you’re playing.
“I know that first-hand. Being at the clubs I’ve been at, having the leaders I’ve had in dressing rooms and on the pitch, having that person speaking to you constantly certainly helps me. It helps you get through sticky moments.”
Rogers said Tuchel had been “very clear and transparent” in a team meeting on Monday night. “The main thing I took from that was about the love and commitment he wants from us within, how he wants us to be a family, how he wants us to be close and connected,” the Aston Villa forward said.
Rogers, who won his first England cap against Greece in November under the interim manager Lee Carsley, said he had put on a suit and tie for his first interaction with Tuchel, a 15-minute Zoom call a few weeks ago. They have been in regular contact since and the 22-year-old West Brom academy graduate has been enthused by the prospect of working with the German.
Rogers said: “When I met him, his aura and demeanour … it is hard to explain but he has that level of confidence, that level of respect already. You can see the way he is, the way he acts. He has been so chilled and calm. But when it is time to work, it is time to work.
“You know what he has done in the game and the respect he has got from managers and players he has worked with. You know he is coming in with some serious ideas and it is about taking it on board and learning from it.”
