Tuchel vs Southgate: Key differences in England's approach

England's opening World Cup match—a 4-2 win over Croatia—was an intense 90 minutes that marked a departure from the more measured approach fans had become accustomed to under Gareth Southgate. Football is ultimately about results, and Southgate turned England into a team capable of deep tournament runs, leading them to the European Championship finals in both 2021 and 2024. But for many, style matters too. Here we examine the similarities and differences between the approaches of Southgate and his successor, Thomas Tuchel.

Player-first vs system-first

The most obvious change since Tuchel's appointment has been his willingness to leave star names out of the squad. During Euro 2024, Southgate's England often featured Phil Foden on the left wing, Cole Palmer in attacking midfield, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in holding midfield. Tuchel left all three out of his World Cup squad.

In simple terms, this reflects Tuchel's system-first approach versus Southgate's player-first approach. Tuchel decided on a clear system and set of tactics, then selected players best suited to those roles—regardless of reputation. This is one reason Morgan Rogers, who fits Tuchel's requirements for the number 10 role, was chosen over Foden and Palmer.

Southgate, by contrast, appeared to select the best individuals first and then build a system around them, sometimes shoehorning players into roles that were not perfect fits. This partly explains the changes to the starting XI and system mid-tournament under Southgate. Both approaches have proven successful and come with pros and cons. While Tuchel's system gives each player a clear role, Southgate encouraged individuals to solve problems by reading the game as it unfolded. Including big names across the pitch made sense, as their individual quality could produce game-changing moments—such as Jude Bellingham's bicycle kick against Slovakia or Cole Palmer's long-range finish against Spain.

Bellingham scored an individually brilliant goal in last week's opener against Croatia, but it came from a well-worked attacking routine developed under Tuchel—a move that, in theory, would also work with Rogers in Bellingham's role. Without Alexander-Arnold's through-balls, Foden's long shots, and Palmer's creativity, England's current squad may have slightly less individual game-breaking quality, but Tuchel hopes the selected players will combine for a greater collective performance.

Styles of play

Tuchel's game model for England is built on core ideas. In November, assistant coach Anthony Barry told the Guardian that the modern game needed a new approach. "There are emotional wins you can get as a coach in the first and final thirds—playing out from the back, pressing from the front," he said. "But in the middle area of the pitch, those 24 metres, we feel the game has become stuck, particularly in the Premier League. Everybody has so much information now. They know how to set up—mid-blocks, deep blocks. We are really trying to focus on accelerating the game across those 24 metres."

Watching the Croatia game, that focus was evident. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had 72 touches as England went backwards to entice Croatia to step out before playing forward quickly into runners in behind. The match highlighted two clear differences from the Southgate era. First, the speed of play through the middle third was noticeably faster. Southgate's sides typically built up short, looking to progress the ball more slowly.