Thomas Tuchel surprises the sceptics – the English national coach does everything right in the 5-0 win against Serbia

The subdued atmosphere in the stadium must have sounded familiar to England coach Thomas Tuchel. In the closing stages of England's World Cup qualifier against Serbia on Tuesday evening, many fans were already making their way home. At the final whistle, the stadium was almost empty.

It was a similar story in the Three Lions' previous games under Tuchel, when many spectators were disappointed by the lackluster style of play. But on Tuesday evening, it wasn't the English fans who turned away from their team, but the Serbs.

The English defeated their supposedly strongest rivals on the road to the 2026 World Cup in North America 5-0 away in Belgrade. Tuchel's team now leads qualifying Group K with the maximum of 15 points, ahead of Albania, while the Serbs trail with a game in hand. The seven-point lead seems so comfortable that the tabloid "Sun" called on the English to book their flights to next summer's World Cup already.

Tuchel's relief at having passed the first tough test was clearly evident. He joyfully embraced his assistants and players and later praised his team's performance as a "team effort in its purest form." This was also reflected in the five different goalscorers: Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford (from the penalty spot), as well as Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, and Marc Guéhi, each scoring their first international goal.

England's efforts were made easier by a red card for Serbia's Nikola Milenković (72'/second stop). With the decisive victory, Tuchel countered the growing negative comments against him – and proved the skeptics wrong. The English football public had increasingly criticized his team's unattractive performances in recent times.

Following Gareth Southgate's resignation after Euro 2024, which saw the national team operate successfully but, in the opinion of his fellow countrymen, too cautiously, the homeland of football expected a revival under Tuchel . The German was supposed to transfer the exciting Premier League style to the national team and bring out the individual qualities of each player more fully. However, after Tuchel's debut as England coach, the familiar problems initially persisted.

The two recent qualifying matches against Andorra were exemplary, in which the English struggled to two narrow victories, one 1-0 and one 2-0. "Boring, boring England," mocked the Daily Mail, while the Sun spoke of "sleepy lions."

The criticism was particularly harsh because Tuchel has been considered someone who can quickly develop effective ideas since his Champions League victory with Chelsea in 2021. The Guardian commented on Tuchel's international debut with almost reverence: The German looked like a duke—slender, angular, tall, with a special charisma.

From then on, Tuchel fought against these high expectations , knowing full well that he had to get to know the players first to break established routines. He repeatedly emphasized that managing a national team is fundamentally different from managing a club team.

He said he had to "learn a lot" during the first two meetings in spring and summer. This realization was hardly surprising, as numerous other prominent coaches had already expressed similar views. But Tuchel wanted to emphasize that he, too, was entitled to these learning processes. And apparently, these efforts have now paid off.

The coach himself laid the foundation for the victory against Serbia – with a well-thought-out lineup. Despite several injury-related absences, including those of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and John Stones, the 52-year-old dared to name a total of seven players in the starting lineup who had fewer than 25 caps prior to this match.

The choice of starting lineup demonstrated that Tuchel had developed a good feel for his players in recent months. Madueke's goal, which he brilliantly combined with Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers, was a prime example.

The integration of Anderson, who plays for Nottingham Forest, was particularly impressive on Tuchel's part. Since Paul Scholes retired from international football two decades ago, England have been searching for a playmaker who can provide rhythm and structure. Tuchel, too, had been tinkering for a long time before introducing the 22-year-old Anderson as a newcomer before the recent international matches. Against Serbia, Anderson was always available to receive the ball, dictating the play, and accelerating his team's controlled build-up play with his passing.

This made England's performance seem dynamic, imaginative, intense—and above all, entertaining. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson raved that Tuchel's demands on his team had been "implemented down to the smallest detail." Other media outlets echoed this sentiment. The Telegraph wrote that the fans could "start dreaming"—of a World Cup title, of course.

The English quickly reconciled with Tuchel, who considers his work as England coach a labor of love. He never misses an opportunity to express his enthusiasm for the job. "Tuchel's coming home" – that's how his time with the Three Lions feels so far, in reference to the English anthem, "Football's coming home." After the match against Serbia, he ran to the traveling English fans and applauded them. This time, everyone was still there.