Three substitutions in two games – that may sound innocuous but it saved England from being knocked out of the World Cup in the round of 32 and then in the round of 16.
In his hour of need, Thomas Tuchel did not helplessly look to the English bench for prayer. Instead he had a plan – one that England had been hatching for some time. No cameo appearance for the England substitute. They are part of what Tuchel calls a ‘special operations’ team – a phrase he dropped before the World Cup began.
When asked about Ivan Toney’s place in the England squad, Tuchel uttered a phrase that is mainly used in American football. A special team is a group of eleven players who are used for kicking situations. Tuchel’s substitutes are scheduled with specific roles to play in a match.
With a goal against Congo, he brought forward Anthony Gordon. Gordon, who lost his place to Marcus Rashford for that game, provided two assists to Harry Kane to seal the win. Having scored against Mexico, Tuchel responded to Jarel Kwansah’s straight red card in the 54th minute by replacing Bukayo Saka and bringing on John Stones.
England’s Jude Bellingham (10) celebrates with Anthony Gordon (18) and Elliott Anderson (8) after scoring the second goal against Mexico during their World Cup Round of 16 soccer match Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
He then made a like-for-like substitution in the 75th minute – taking a corner and bringing on Dan Byrne. In fifteen minutes and injury time, Byrne made six clearances; Made his England debut at the age of 34 in the knockout stages of the World Cup – yet another planned special ops insertion that only Tuchel could have imagined he would face at the World Cup. He also brought on DJ Spence and John Stones – both defenders made eleven clearances in their short spell during the game and denied Mexico a last-gasp goal.
When Tuchel replaced Gareth Southgate as England manager, much was said about a German taking over England. When he decided not to, the noises got louder Trent-Alexander Arnold as part of his squad, opting to stick with Reese James instead – a call that was quickly reversed when James suffered an injury in the group stage. Trent is a world-class producer but a subpar defender. Like a chef in a Michelin star restaurant, Tuchel decided that England could create enough chances for Kane and Bellingham but that defending was the real need of the hour. The complex broth of English genius requires skillful subtraction. Exactly what he was hired for. Having an outside perspective on what is necessary and what is not, and then dispassionately cutting.
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Six of England’s 26 players either play outside the Premier League or will from the upcoming season. Five of these six are players on the offensive end of the pitch. What was once a taboo in English football has been swiftly overturned by Tuchel, who has also kept an eye on players operating in leagues outside of England.
Jordan Henderson’s inclusion was also frequently questioned. But Tuchel’s special operations team isn’t just about changing results on the football pitch. Many of England’s greatest players believed that ‘Hendo’ was the glue – one of the players who held the team together and was vital to the players’ happiness. In an interview with the England Football YouTube channel, Morgan Rodgers said, “If people were to do a blind ranking of the footballers they all wanted in camp, Jordan Henderson would be in everyone’s top 5.” In the same interview, Jude Bellingham expanded on that: “He brings everybody together. If there’s ever a problem, and you feel like you’re 22 and there’s a problem you’re not comfortable solving, he’ll do it for you.”
Knockout Tournament Manager
Tuchel’s reputation has grown in many ways due to his off-field skills. Friend of Pep Guardiola, but has frequently been compared to Carlo Ancelotti; The Italian’s penchant for distilling a group into the perfect ticket to win a major tournament has been taken a step further by the German.
Thomas Tuchel with the Champions Trophy. (file photo)
Tuchel showed some of his best work with Chelsea by taking over a team coached by Frank Lampard and changing their DNA almost instantly. Sticking to his values of strong defensive structure and quick forward progressive passes, he brought out a player-friendly formation at the club that was lightning on the counter. A Champions League title followed soon after – one where they beat Real Madrid in a two-legged semi-final and then beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final.
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Tuchel’s replacement in a knockout game reflects his ideology. Want to defend the lead? Bring on the 34-year-old sanction-or-bust budding defender. Want a fine? Bring on Tony, now playing in Saudi Arabia but still one of the quietest penalty kickers in the world. Left-wingers not producing enough? Create a competition for position in the middle of the World Cup and let the best player win. Tuchel-Ball is played as much in the team as out of the team. When Norway prepares to take on the English and continue their magical run – giving the game’s ultimate reactionary manager enough feedback is the way to a World Cup semi-final.