At its core, this England side looks to entice pressure. This can be across the pitch, but Tuchel’s men mainly aim to draw opponents on to them in deeper parts of the field.
They often do this by passing the ball back to the defenders or goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
England will commit numerous players to this initial build-up phase, including striker Harry Kane, who drops into holding midfield positions to provoke the opposition into leaving their half.
When their opponents do step forward, England look to accelerate play, aiming directly for attackers who are running in behind and are facing fewer defenders.
The “14 or 15 starters” that Tuchel has talked of are players that suit this idea precisely.
Centre-backs such as John Stones and Marc Guehi are comfortable in possession in order to draw pressure, while for Bayern Munich Kane drops deep and launches accurate long passes for team-mate Luis Diaz.
Further forward, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are all powerful runners capable of attacking into space against fewer defenders.
Simply put, England aim to pull defences out of their shape in order to exploit the space this creates.









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